Vadous' Revelation
by Zoram Selrof
Summary: Hikari Netto & Rock Man are fighting to take down the Net Mafia "Gospel" but things won't go as smoothly as one would believe: "Gospel" is just the start of a series of interlinked events as new allies and enemeies enter the picture. Danger lurks in every corner and, sometimes, some things are better off not knowing at all or else things turn deadly. Rated M for lemon and torture.
1. Chapter 1: Showdown

**Vadous' Revelation**

**By Zoram Selrof**

**Chapter 1: Showdown**

17:44 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday August the 1st, 2009…

"… Guo~h!"

"… Huff… Huff… We… did it…!"

Rock Man EXE dropped to his knees inside of the Cyber World and panted: Freeze Man EXE, standing in front of him, was being slowly deleted and roaring in agony: soon nothing but raw data was left and cleared the way towards a program hovering some centimeters above the ground of a small square.

"Rock Man! Are you alright?" Hikari Netto called out.

"W-well… S-somehow, Netto – kun… Having to battle those 3 guys in a row was… painful, even…" He muttered between pants.

"Sub Chip, Full Energy! Slot In!" Netto announced.

Rock Man's body glowed with a pink-colored halo for some seconds before he managed to stand up and stretch.

"Thanks, Netto – kun! I feel more energetic by now." Rock Man sounded relieved.

"O. K.! We can now get rid of the EM radiation control program. Then we should be able to open that locked door next to me which was overloaded with EM radiation." Netto instructed.

"Roger!"

"Ah… And we should h-hurry… I have trouble even to stand…" Netto muttered.

"No wonder…! The radiation is getting close to 50,000 times the normal ratio and it'll overload your protective suit! Let's hurry! Charge Shot!"

The program detonated and both sighed in relief: Netto pressed the 'Plug Out' button on his PET and Rock Man returned inside of the PET: Netto then headed towards the door and closed his left hand around the doorknob while gulping.

"The last room…!" He muttered.

"Wait a minute, Netto – kun! We should organize our Chip Folder before going and decide which Style Change we use for the upcoming battles: it could prove decisive." Rock Man called out.

"Yeah. True. I don't wanna be in a pinch when I need them… Let's see… Let's pack two Program Advances… Quick Gauge… Full Custom… Plently of swords… Ojiouzan can come in handy… And the current Heat Guts V3 Style Change is fine: its long flamethrower range can come in handy!" Netto muttered as he rummaged into his pockets.

"Good. When you feel ready then let's go inside." Rock Man nodded in agreement.

"Rock Man… No. Saito – niisan. We'll fight at our full power. We'll do whatever it takes to stop these guys. I know Papa told us it was a very dangerous and maybe deadly battle, but… We're the only ones who can come this far." Netto told him.

"… Netto – kun. You're growing." Saito smiled at him.

"When this is over… Let's try to make our bond stronger. Deal?" Netto suggested.

"Deal. Now… Let's go for it!" Saito rallied.

"Yeah! I'm gonna have a good _curry_ dish today for supper!" Netto looked ready to tackle on anything.

"You little glutton…" Saito giggled.

"Heh, heh! I devour it all." Netto made a broad grin.

"You sure do. Go!" Saito rallied.

"Yessir!"

Netto opened the door and walked into a new room from the small entrance corridor: its floor was filled with green tiles which varied in color while active servers of all sizes filled the length of the walls: Netto stopped after having walked some steps inside and looked around him with obvious awe.

"What the heck is this…?" He wondered.

"What a huge amount of servers…!" Rock Man muttered.

"Welcome to _my_ Gospel's Main Server Room!" A voice called out.

Netto dared to walk forward after gasping and stopped in front of a metallic desk with two LCD screens, two keyboards and a control console set on top of it: someone was standing a little distance from it and facing a large LCD screen with speakers built on the far wall displaying of graphs.

The man standing in front of the screen had green/white hair which ended in purple rectangular pieces and reached all the way to the floor: he looked about a meter and eighty tall, more or less.

His hands were also white pallid and resting next to his body while pointing downwards.

He wore a simple black tunic with red-colored bordering which ended around the ankles thus allowing one to see his bare pallid feet.

"You've finally come…" The man announced.

He turned around to reveal his face: most of it was covered by the hair and only his right eye was visible: its iris was colored red.

The tunic had the Gospel logo stamped on the torso just below the neck: it was open around the height of the knees thus creating a triangle-shaped opening.

"Heh, heh! We finally meet… You're Gospel's Boss, then?" Netto grinned at him.

"Hmpf… True, Hikari Netto… The Net Mafia "Gospel" is my property…" He confirmed.

"Huh? How do you know about me?" Netto asked.

"By using Gospel's Network… There's _nothing_ I can't know. Just by looking at this monitor… I can obtain all information in the world. And… I can always issue orders throughout the world from here."

"Because of that… Because of you… Many persons have been dragged into these incidents and have suffered!" Netto told him.

"I'm well-informed about those riots. I issue orders from here but I just don't stain my hands in the dirt…" He sounded unimpressed.

"Have you tried to speak even _once_ to talk to those persons who suffer?"

"Even if I did that… What would that cause? People just draw out their own façade when interacting with others and conceal their true selves. The info I can gather from here is more than enough for me. True… There's nothing which can remotely defeat "reality"!" He shot back.

"Wrong! That's mistaken!" Netto countered.

"Well then. What are you trying to say? I've already acquired the "Ultimate Navi"… I'll become the world's ruler!" He exclaimed.

He took one step forward but his pose didn't change.

"How is it, Hikari Netto? Join me… Aren't you interested in joining Gospel? Combining my "Ultimate Navi" and your Rock Man… We can grant freedom to the world between both of them!" Gospel invited.

"You can pick that invitation… And eat it up! I… came here to make mincemeat of your ambition!" Netto told him.

"You want to battle the "Ultimate Navi", so as to speak… What a pity, Hikari Netto… You're the same as those fools… You can't grasp the ideals of my Gospel." Gospel calmly muttered.

"You're the real fool! Rock Man!" Netto announced.

"Yeah! No matter what this "Ultimate Navi" is or does… I don't plan on losing to a Navi intended on bringing sorrow to the world! Netto – kun! Please Plug – In!"

"Let's go in with a yell! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

He took out his PET's Plug-In wire and connected it to the control console: Rock Man then entered the system.

"Let's go!" Netto grinned.

Gospel seemed to ignore Netto and kept on glancing at something on his desk out of sight apparently deciding something.

"The Viruses here are no big deal." Rock Man reported.

"Good!" Netto looked animated.

Rock Man crossed through a small square and suddenly stopped when he'd almost stepped through it.

"Hmmm?" He wondered aloud.

Guts Man, Glyde and Roll appeared behind him in a row and he turned to greet them.

"You guys! You could come!" Rock Man greeted.

None of them replied or moved: the air seemed to chill out and Rock Man began to feel nervous.

"Roll – chan? Guys?" Rock Man frowned.

Guts Man swung his left fist and pushed Rock Man into the ground.

"Gah!"

Rock Man stood up and walked over to him again.

"Guts Man! What are you doing?" He asked.

"Wait, Rock Man! Their appearance looks weird!" Netto called out.

"Heh, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! You finally noticed! These guys are some rubbish Navis which I stole from a bunch of children who intruded a little while ago! However, I did a little customizing to have them attack Rock Man EXE. What's wrong? Can't you and your so-prideful Rock Man EXE delete these guys?" Gospel laughed.

"That's unfair!" Netto growled.

"Delete them… I can't do that!" Rock Man muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh… Friendship? Jeez. What a fool. Well then… Let's go! No holding back! Roll! Delete Rock Man!" Gospel ordered.

"Yes, sir… I shall delete Rock Man EXE…" Roll announced like she was an automaton.

"Roll – chan! It's me! Rock! Don't you really realize it?" Rock Man called out with a hint of fear.

Roll began to whip him with her antennae and he automatically assumed a defensive pose.

"Grah! At this rate…" He cursed.

"… Rock Man! Counterstrike…! Damn! Can't do it…? What should we do…?" Netto cursed.

"… Netto – kun… No good… Limit…!" Rock Man muttered with obvious fear on his voice.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Is that you guys' so-precious "friendship"? What cold guys! I don't even need to bring out the "Ultimate Navi"!" Gospel laughed.

Suddenly, though, an attack came in from the right and hit Roll: she was deleted.

"Roll – cha~n! Horrible! Who…?" Rock Man gasped and sounded terrified at the sight.

"… Hey! Rock! Can't you tell the difference between me and a fake, after all?" Roll suddenly called out from elsewhere.

Rock Man looked around, and, suddenly, a second Guts Man attacked the first from behind while a second Glyde flew across the space where the first had been at: both were deleted: the real Guts Man remained in the middle, Glyde hovered down from above and Roll flew in from the right before landing to Guts Man's left.

"You guys! Roll – chan! What… does this mean?" Rock Man asked in a confused manner.

"Truth is… When we intruded the mansion a while ago… It would seem our data was copied." Glyde admitted.

"Sorry, Rock… You got into a tight spot because of that."

"I won't be unmoved by such a thing! Besides… You guys came to help out!" Rock Man replied.

"But I'd really wish you knew how to tell me and a fake apart…" Roll insisted.

"Eh… Sorry." Rock Man apologized.

"If that happened again… Then Rock would end up being deleted, you know!" Roll muttered.

"That's not the case…" Rock Man protested.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah… So… Does this mean…?" Netto let out some uneasy laughter.

"Netto! We came as well!" Meiru called out.

"Meiru!"

"We're rather late!" Dekao admitted.

"Dekao! Yaito too!"

"Cha guys go ahead even if you're being warned it's dangerous to begin with!" Yaito sounded annoyed.

"Thanks! Everyone! How's this? This is our friendship power!" Netto shot at Gospel.

"Heh, heh, heh. Interesting. But… How's this one like?" He challenged back.

Blues suddenly appeared in the middle of the square and hit the three Navis with just one attack: they suffered major damage.

"Kya~h!" Roll shrieked.

They collapsed on the ground face-up.

"Gru~h…!" Glyde groaned.

"Roll – chan! Everyone!" Rock Man gasped.

"How's this? Is this your everyday well-done copy?" Gospel taunted.

"Rock Man! Can you go for it?" Netto asked.

"I have some damage, but… Guys who around hurting everyone, I… won't forgive… Gruh…!"

"… Shit! I thought as much: you took a lot in back then!" Netto cursed.

"… Attack target: Rock Man EXE. Calculated deletion time… 5 seconds. Execute program!" Blues automatically announced.

Blues moved forward, but, suddenly, a new Blues dashed in from the right and inflicted major damage to the first one: it was soon deleted as well while Blues kept his left sword arm up.

"Blues reporting! I won't let anyone who dares to shun my name get away with it!" He reported.

"Blues!" Rock Man gasped in relief.

Enzan made his entrance into the room and Gospel seemed surprised.

"You… The Official's Ace Net Battler: Ijuuin Enzan…? What the hell is the overseas distraction unit doing?" He questioned.

"Hmpf. If you mean those guys, then… I guess they must be rounded up and brought down by now…" Enzan made a shrug.

"Che!" Gospel muttered.

"Enzan! You helped us out!" Netto told him.

"There's no need to thank me for that. I've come to… I've come to pay back that little something which happened in Ameroupe." Enzan replied by giving him the back.

"Roger! That's the way of saying it! But, even so… _Thank you_!"

"Hum. You guys! Don't lower the guard!"

The servers suddenly shook and the atmosphere's colors and lighting seemed to change: the humming and heat rose up as well: everyone looked around in a panicked manner.

"Kyah!" Meiru shrieked.

"What the heck is this? It looks bad!" Netto cursed.

"Heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!"

"What's so funny?" Netto demanded.

"You did well up until now! But it's too late by now! The "Bug Fusion" was completed right now! The only thing left is to click this button and engage the "Ultimate Navi"! The "Ultimate Navi"… Its name is… "Forte"…!" Gospel exclaimed.

"What did you say…?" Enzan gasped.

"Oho. As expected from an Official… You know about "Forte", it'd rather seem..." He sounded curious.

"Enzan? What the heck is that "Forte"…?" Netto asked.

"It can absorb Chip Data and activate it anytime it wants to… A totally unrivaled Navi, so as to say… I'd never thought it was real…" Enzan explained.

"We Gospel's "Forte Project"… However… It doesn't simply serve to create Forte per se. I've finally managed to breed an infinite number of Fortes! By using a large amount of them… It becomes possible to rule the whole world's Network in one blink of an eye! If I do that… The whole world's military power and money will… become mine. I shall become the Earth's King! With that, the "Forte Project" will become a total success!" Gospel explained next.

"We won't let you do that no matter what! Rock Man!"

"Yeah… The opponent is a totally unrivaled Navi… Even if I can't win… I won't lose! I'm ready for it!"

"Do you think I'll ever let you delete Rock Man during my Operation? We'll delete Forte!" Netto exclaimed.

"Yeah! Gotcha!"

Rock Man moved forward and deleted all Viruses on his path: he finally reached the deepest point in the Cyber World where he found Forte hovering above a platform.

Most of his body was concealed by a worn out brownish cloak which covered up to his nose: his eyes' irises were blood red and looked calm.

His helmet had two fin-shaped segments colored orange above the ear pads: his white and orange boots could be seen, too, where the cloaked ended.

An azure-colored star-shaped jewel was set on his forehead.

Overall, he looked about a meter and sixty tall give or take: his body glowed with an intermittent blue light.

"Netto – kun…" Rock Man called out.

"Yeah. We've finally come this far…" Netto muttered.

"This is… The "Ultimate Navi"… Forte…"

Rock Man stepped forward: Forte did not speak nor move from his current position.

_He gives off a sinister vibe…!_

"Well then… Forte! Start the project and make the world become mine! So as to start with something… Delete the Navi in front of your eyes!" Gospel commanded.

"… Got it… If it's a battle, then… Leave it up to me." Forte calmly muttered as his body flashed.

"It looks like he's awakened… Rock Man!"

"Yeah! I'm ready anytime!"

"OK! Then… Let's go! Battle Operation, Set!"

"In!"

Rock Man and Forte assumed battle poses: Forte hovered without moving as Netto quickly picked the Battle Chips.

"… OK! Battle Chip, Invisible 3, Blues V3, Full Custom! Triple Slot In!" Netto announced.

Rock Man turned invisible and used the Blues V3: a copy of Blues appeared and quickly hit Forte, stunning him for a second: Rock Man tied the Full Custom in to end his turn.

"Too easy… Next is… Battle Chip, Fumikomizan! Triple Slot In!"

"Air Burst!"

Rock Man dodged a green sphere of energy travelling in a straight direction and charged up his Rock Buster.

"Eat this!"

The flames stunned Forte and Rock Man quickly moved around.

"Air Burst!"

"Fumikomizan!"

Rock Man quickly jumped into Forte's area and slashed: he backed up and repeated the process twice without giving Forte any breaks.

"Still too easy… Battle Chip, Blues V3, Full Custom! Double Slot In!"

"Let's go~!" Rock Man exclaimed.

Blues' attack prevented Forte from attacking but he recovered sooner and charged up energy on his right arm.

"Hell's Buster!"

Several shots began to rain down in a pattern.

"Huh! Gotta dodge!"

Rock Man predicted most of them and could dodge them: other did get to hit him but he didn't mind it.

"Battle Chip, Roll V3! Slot In!"

"Charge Shot!"

"Hell's Buster!"

Rock Man paid no heed to Forte's attacks and hit him with his flamethrower: he waited for Forte to recover while he assumed a pose to quickly jump forward if needed.

"Roll V3!"

Roll's data appeared and she whipped Forte with her head's antennae: Rock Man healed while Forte groaned and was deleted.

"Whoa. We didn't even sweat!" Netto muttered.

"Too easy, even." Rock Man muttered.

"Che! The "Bug Fusion" wasn't complete, then! Like I thought… It wouldn't work unless I increased the server power!" Gospel growled.

"Oi! I dunno if that was the "Ultimate Navi", but I deleted it! Stop this whole story already!" Netto told him.

"What the… You're laughing at me? I though as much: you're making a _baka_ out of me, too!" Gospel sounded annoyed.

"… What are you saying? No – one is making such a thing…"

"Shaddup! Whatever you say… I won't be fooled! For the time being… I've gotta increase the server power! Look on!"

He suddenly began typing into both keyboards at the same time going at a mad speed: the servers began to whine and frizzled.

"Server power: 100%! Guh…!"

His body was suddenly surrounded by static electricity.

"Hurts! It itches somewhat!" Yaito yelled.

"O~w! I feel the same!" Dekao yelped.

"Netto – kun! The EM radiation has gone over the 50,000 times spot! It's getting dangerous!"

"Oi! Stop it! If you keep on increasing the server power, it'll be dangerous!"

"Shaddup! Don't order me!" Gospel growled back.

"It ain't an "order"! Even you are in danger! Can't you get that?" Netto grumbled.

"Shut… up…!" Gospel muttered aloud.

"Why… Why don't you get it? Everyone! Enzan! If you don't have protective suits then it's dangerous! Go outside!"

"… Going for the glory, huh…" Enzan muttered.

"That won't do! Netto alone is dangerous! That's why I'll fight along with Netto!" Meiru told him.

"_Baka_! Don't say reckless stuff!" Netto told her.

"But! I can't go and leave without caring about you, Netto!" Meiru protested.

"Meiru, Netto's right. We gotta believe in Netto!" Dekao told her.

"Believe in Netto…" She muttered.

"If it's me, then I'll be alright! I'll come back to you guys ASAP!"

"Really? You promise?"

"Yeah! I promise!" Netto confirmed.

"I get it. But… Netto! My feelings… Will remain inside of Netto…" She muttered while sobbing a bit.

"Yeah! I'll be taking them! I'll make sure to hold into them!"

"Cha guys…" Yaito muttered while sobbing as well.

"O. K, guys, let's go!" Dekao rallied.

The three of them ran off: Meiru delayed for a second to look at Netto before stepping out.

"… Hmpf. You wanna be the cool man, I guess… The rest is up to you, then…" Enzan shrugged.

He stepped out while Gospel was struggling to seemingly open a drawer on the desk which seemed to be stuck.

"Shit! Stupid IKEA self-assembled stuff: they always get jammed when you need them!" He growled aloud.

He brusquely pulled it open and rummaged inside for some seconds before looking up.

"So! You think I'm a fool, don't you?" He questioned.

"That of before was an irony!" Netto replied.

"Irony or not… I'm getting fed up." Gospel told him.

"Oi, oi! Are you sure you're not abusing of those servers? I don't think even you could survive such an EM radiation dose!" Netto pointed out to him.

"Shaddup…! This worthless world… will be ruled by me! I only need… one more thing…!" He growled.

He suddenly took something out of the drawer and lifted his right hand to aim for Netto: he was holding a Beretta 92F/FS on it and aiming for Netto's forehead: he turned pale and dropped the PET on top of the desk.

"This is real. I got it from the black market. I don't need you anymore, fool! I'll have enough with customizing that Navi to obey me: then I will rule this world!" Gospel announced.

Netto nervously looked around: there was nothing he could use as a cover to hide behind in the room and the entrance looked too far.

_Netto – kun!_ Saito suddenly called out through his mind.

_What? _

_Remember: Full Synchro! _

_How can I use it now? This is the real world! Full Synchro allowed us to beat the Dream Virus V1, but…!_

_If you let me… I can control your body! My reflexes are faster and I know how to fight back! It's the only remaining option! Please! Allow me!_

_O. K.! Hurry it up!_

"Say your prayers. 10… 9…" Gospel began to count down.

Netto closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate: he suddenly opened them to reveal that they'd become emerald green: he glared at Gospel with a hostile look and he seemed to lose his earlier confidence: he stepped back.

"Hra~h!"

Netto suddenly jumped across the air and landed behind the desk: he gripped Gospel's right wrist and made it hit a wall: both struggled for the gun but Netto suddenly kicked his lower torso with the right foot to stun him and wrestled it off: he then jumped over the desk back at his spot and aimed for Gospel.

"Reversal of tables!" He announced.

"… Your voice…! It sounds like Rock Man's… Huh? The guy isn't even moving!" Gospel muttered and glanced at the PET's screen.

They suddenly heard distinct footsteps heading towards the room: Netto quickly glued his back into one of the right wall's servers to have a good angle to aim for both Gospel and the entrance in a quick manner: Gospel growled something.

"Good afternoon. It would seem this fireworks display is attracting some curious mice over here." A dull man's voice rang out with a hint of sarcasm to it yet without stopping being polite.

"That voice is…!" Gospel muttered.

The voice's owner came into view:

This man was on his forties and could be over a meter and ninety tall: they had an athletic build to them.

His hair was colored in a blonde color and was neatly combed although it had reminiscences of a military haircut given the edges.

He was dressed in a gray trench overcoat, a black sports suit and pants along with brown shoes.

He had sunglasses on, though.

"Oh? Mr. Hikari! We finally meet." He greeted with a hint of amusement to his voice.

"Who are you?" Netto questioned.

"My, my! That object looks inappropriate on your hands, sir… Do excuse me… Lezareno. Chief Lezareno. Envoy of the Sponsor Club, if you may, my young sir." He politely announced.

"Ah… Eh… Chief Lezareno… It's been a while…" Gospel sounded _nervous_ by now, even.

"What? That guy is nervous at your visit?" Netto looked at both of them with a surprised face.

"Of course. Well then… Mr. Gospel. To make it short: our 34% contribution is going to be closed as of today. We do not like to be underestimated, yet… It was us who rushed it up and didn't try to make the necessary background investigation. Do you get my point?"

"Eh… I'm afraid not." Gospel muttered.

"We are _not_ in sympathy with tyrants, rulers, and others who want to control or destroy society. It is in our interests to preserve "individuality" in the current society from becoming "mass", thus… Since you plan on imposing yourself over others… It is the exact opposite of what we seek. So it is like a war declaration, even." Chief Lezareno told him.

"Crap." Gospel muttered.

"Ah. You have made your research, sir. You realize the scale of what we are." Chief Lezareno formed a smile on his face.

"And you came here just to tell me that or…?" Gospel asked.

"I am just an ambassador. I came to deliver our organization's maximum figures' resolution. The faucet is closed, my good sir. And, frankly, I doubt that this display can end up well. Abusing of machines has always led to disasters. May I recall to you the year 1986?"

"Ah… Hum… Yeah… True… I see the parallelism, but… Eh…"

"Do reflect upon it: Mr. Sponsor will soon come and wrap things up over here." Chief Lezareno told him.

"Hum… I… get it…" Gospel muttered.

"Ah. Do have this…" Chief Lezareno suddenly announced.

He rummaged into his jacket's inner pocket, took out a wallet and picked two visiting cards: he threw them at Gospel's desk and at Netto's feet.

"Do not interpret it as looking down on your persona, Mr. Hikari. I do believe we shall meet again soon enough. And do try to convince Mr. Ijuuin to loosen his iron tongue: he knows more than he lets out in the surface: he has a mask on, in case you hadn't realized, my young sir."

"Uh… Eh… I… will…" Netto slowly muttered.

"There he goes… Fantastic! I now get those guys as my enemies as well."

The servers suddenly hummed and began to emit terrific noises: Netto closed his eyes: they returned to brown as he rushed to the PET and picked it up: he attached the gun to his belt and picked up the visiting card which he pocketed: Gospel began to type into the keyboards as well.

"The radiation keeps on escalating…! I can barely move my feet…!"

"Ugh… 100,000 times above the normal ratio… Server power: 200%! I did it…! Prepare to meet the REAL Forte!" Gospel groaned.

A new Forte appeared and began to flash at a quicker speed.

"I don't care who I have to battle: I won't forgive those who try to hurt Netto – kun!" He exclaimed.

"… Guh! Goh… Gah… Gih… Gih…" Forte groaned as he began to convulse.

"Oi! What's wrong?" Gospel called out.

"Gih… Guh… Gah… Geh… Goh… Goh…!" Forte groaned.

His body suddenly broke down into grayish semi-solid mass and accumulated on the ground to then form a four-legged creature's body, a tail and a head: it had an inverted-crown-like object on its neck and its eyes were red: the mouth was filled with teeth and black or yellowish spots distributed at random across its surface: it was two meters tall.

"Heh… Hah… Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah…! Is that your true form, then? Not bad! Looks strong! Oi! Go ahead and make sure to delete that guy!" Gospel laughed.

"Groa~h!" It roared.

"What the hell! Didn't you hear my order?"

A phone's sound rang out: Netto pressed the "reply" button on his PET.

"Netto! Rock Man! Can you hear me?" Hikari Yuuichirou asked.

"Papa!" Netto exclaimed.

"I've just realized something problematic! Listen up! Gospel's "Ultimate Navi Construction Scheme" has a large flaw to it! You simply can't create an Ultimate Navi out of "Bug Fusion"! Even if you could… That'd be an "Ultimate Bug Fusion Body"…!" Yuuichirou explained.

"Papa! Besides that, Netto…" He was cut off.

"Be quiet, Rock Man! Papa! Then… The thing standing here right now ain't Forte, you mean to say?"

"What did you say? The "Bug Fusion Body" has already been created, then? If that thing is destroyed…"

_Huh? What would happen?_

"Bugs will be spread across the whole world's Network! The world won't belong to anyone: it'll end up being ruled by bugs! Netto! You have to delete the "Bug Fusion Body"! Use Rock Man's power!"

"Papa… Leave… it to… me…" Netto slowly replied.

"Netto! What's happening to you?" Yuuichirou questioned.

"No… nothing. Papa… Thanks… I'm gonna cut…"

"Netto – kun…!"

"We're the only ones who can do this! It's not the time to keep Papa worried…" Netto argued.

"I get it."

"Groa~h!" The monster roared.

"We're gonna call this thing "Gospel", too…! Battle Operation, Set!"

"In!" Rock Man confirmed.

"What the… I can't control the servers! I can't cut off Server 00: it keeps on feeding that thing with more bugs! Damn!" Gospel cursed.

"Battle Chip, Prism, Fumikomizan! Double Slot In!"

Rock Man went and threw the Prism in front of "Gospel": he then waited until it opened its mouth and shot some debris-like objects out: Rock Man hit the Prism and the power was deflected at "Gospel", thus damaging it given the growl which rang out.

"Battle Chip, Fumikomizan! Slot In!"

"Fumikomizan!"

Rock Man jumped and hit "Gospel" again: the monster began to look annoyed and made the ground shake with its feet: Rock Man did his best to keep his balance.

"Battle Chip, Guts Man V3! Slot In!"

"Guts Man V3!"

"Guo~h!"

"Gospel" shot something akin to a sound shockwave which spread in a straight line across the area: Rock Man barely dodged it

"Go!"

Guts Man showed up and hit the ground with his Guts Hammer, thus causing a shockwave which hit Gospel from beneath.

"Garuo~h!"

The head became a gigantic drill which shot forward and left a neck opening displaying a purplish glowing mass growing inside of it.

"What the… The head can morph!" Netto cursed.

"It's gotta be using data at random and morphing due to the unstable nature of its body…" Rock Man deduced.

"What a monster!" Netto muttered.

"Server power… 300%!" Gospel groaned.

"Damn! Battle Chip, Invisible 3, Flame Blade! Double Slot In!"

Rock Man turned invisible and struck "Gospel" as it was going to attack again: the beast stopped fooling around and seemed to grow in size.

"We gotta cut it soon or else…" Rock Man cursed.

"Program Advance! Guts Punch, Cold Punch, Dash Attack! Slot In!"

"Machinegun Punch!"

Rock Man bombarded "Gospel's" face with several Guts Punches: the monster howled and moved around in a convulsed manner.

"We've cut about half of that thing's HP…!" Rock Man muttered.

"Battle Chip, Area Steal, Blues V3! Double Slot In!"

"Let's go~!"

"Gospel" suddenly opened the mouth and shot a sonic boom which headed towards the SE: Rock Man jumped out of the way and summoned Blues' data which managed to hit it: its mass suddenly seemed to decrease by a slight amount.

"We must reduce the HP to 0 and delete it: the rests will self-delete and this stuff will shut down… I guess they will end up totally fried."

"Gotcha… Battle Chip, Fumikomizan! Double Slot In!"

"Hra~h!"

Rock Man attacked twice and "Gospel" looked at its right leg to see its integrity seemingly about to break apart.

"Damn. The more it absorbs, the quicker it'll collapse…!"

"Gu… Grrrr!"

The head vanished and a bug-made copy of Air Man formed in front of it: it shot two tornadoes forward and Rock Man barely was able to dodge.

"Battle Chip, Fumikomizan, Full Custom! Double Slot In!"

"Fumikomizan!"

Rock Man hit "Gospel" and managed to delete the improvised Air Man.

"Let's bet it on 1 hit! Battle Chip, Invisible 3! Program Advance! Flame, Aqua, Elec Blade! Slot In!"

"Dream Sword 3!"

The attack hit "Gospel" just as he was about to attack: it split its body in two and it quickly lost all trace of energy and life: it slowly began to delete itself while Rock Man collapsed on the ground from the effort.

"W-we did it!"

The servers whined and began to smoke and frizzle as they began to shut down one after the other amongst large decreasing hum sounds: the LCD screen stopped transmitting as well while Gospel looked around in a seemingly panicked manner.

"No…! My Gospel…! My world…! It's… gone…? No way…! This can't be true…!" He uttered.

"Let's go back." Netto muttered.

Netto calmly reached for the Plug-In wire to physically remove it: Gospel suddenly grabbed his left wrist and pulled him forward before pressing something against his right shoulder: a loud BANG sound rang out and Netto screamed in agony: Gospel then pushed him into the ground while Netto clutched his right shoulder: a gunshot wound was visible there.

"H-how...? I still… have it…!" Netto groaned.

"Netto – kun!" Rock Man gasped in horror.

"That's a fake! I suspected this could happen. You made a fool of me and now you destroyed my life… I won't die alone…!" Gospel roared.

He jumped over the desk and grabbed Netto's shirt neck with his left hand to then violently toss him against the desk: Netto hit the back of his head with it and ended up sitting on the ground: the shock made the PET fell off it while still connected to the console: Netto picked it with his left hand.

"Saito – niisan… Papa… was right… but… I don't… regret it…" He muttered.

"I don't… either… Netto – kun…" Saito cried.

Gospel suddenly placed the barrel of the gun on Netto's left hip and shot: Netto roared in agony and Rock Man collapsed face-down into the ground inside of his PET while clutching those same spots Netto had been hurt at.

_Netto – kun… These four months with you… Made up for those six years we spent split from each other… Thank you… Everyone…_

_The end… But I'm not afraid… We did everything we could... And we completed the mission… Thanks to everyone's efforts… Papa… Mama… Guys… Sorry. I couldn't keep my promise, Meiru… I have no regrets… _Sayounara_, guys…_

"Say farewell!"

BANG!


	2. Chapter 2: Intriguing manuevers

**Chapter 2: Intriguing maneuvers **

09:08 AM (Japan Time), Friday August the 3rd…

… BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

"… No progress…?"

"No, sir… We've done all we could. The rest is, in all senses of the word, up to him, sir…"

"I shouldn't have let them go…! I'm to blame…!"

"But they were the only ones who could do it, dear."

"I know that! But, even so…! What happened was too critical: I don't know if a miracle happened or not, but… They made it back at mere inches from certain death…!"

"Please calm down. They are alive. This is what matters, dear."

".. You're right, but… As their father, I'm legally and morally obliged to ensure their safety… Yet…"

"Try to sit down and drink something, dear."

"Yeah… Guess so…"

… _Voices… Sounds… Smells… I am alive, then…? Those voices… Papa… Mama… The sound… I guess I'm in a hospital… How much time have I been unconscious…? Ah! Saito – niisan! Is he alright…? Niisan…? Can you hear me, niisan?_

_Netto – kun! Finally…! You're starting to wake up! I was worried you wouldn't…! _Saito sounded relieved.

_What day is it today? _Netto asked.

_Friday Agust the 3__rd__, 09:14 AM…_

_Then… I've been unconscious for almost 40 hours in a row…?_

_Yeah. But we can't blame you: being shot was a shock to your consciousness and body…_

_Being shot…! My right arm…! My left leg… I can't move them, right? _

… _Yeah. It'll take about four weeks to recover, according to the _sensei_… _

… _I won't protest. I charged in recklessly and did get into a deadly spot like Papa had warned us. I dragged you along, too, niisan. I'm such a _baka_… Getting my niisan into a pinch… _Netto sighed.

_No, Netto – kun! You're very courageous! We disbanded Gospel, after all, thanks to our combination!_

_But, wait… Then… The third gunshot I heard… Do I have any other wounds on my body?_

_No. You only have two._

_But I'm sure I heard a third gunshot one instant before losing consciousness…_

_Well… Maybe Enzan – kun knows something about it? He's been dropping by to try to get your eyewitness, but given how you were unconscious… Papa also scolded him for trying to place an investigation above a person's life and almost trying to force you to wake up…_

_Enzan… Really… The guy should get tickled in the stomach and shatter that stone face of his! _

_I see you're getting into a brighter mood… Why don't you try to wake up, then? Everyone's waiting for you…_

_Yeah… I need to apologize. Guess Papa will be scolding us, too._

_No. He's blaming himself for what happened and Mama doesn't see us as culprits: we did what had to be done, after all._

_Poor Papa… He must feel totally guilty… I guess I'll try to relieve him: I've kept everyone worried…_

_Don't try to blame yourself, Netto – kun. We both share some of the blame, too…_

_Yeah… Gotcha…_

Netto slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times to get used to the dim lighting of the room: the first thing he spotted was the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth followed by the pale blue hospital pajama he was wearing: he noticed how his right shoulder and left hip were covered in various layers of bandages, too: he then looked at his right to see Yuuichirou and Haruka leaning over the bed's edge to look at him.

"Netto! Thank goodness…!" Yuuichirou gasped in relief.

"You're alright…" Haruka sobbed from the emotion.

Netto tried to articulate a word but failed: his throat was dry. A medic walked over to him and removed the oxygen mask: he then helped him sit up on the bed and brought a glass of water with a straw: Netto sipped some of it and kept it on his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing it down: he did the same another five or six times before letting out a sigh of relief.

"… Papa… Mama… Rock Man… I'm sorry for everything. I charged in recklessly and got into a pinch." Netto sighed.

"No, Netto. Don't try to place the blame on yourself. We all share some degree of blame, after all." Yuuichirou told him.

"Papa…" Netto formed a weak smile.

"You must be strong and go on despite what happened." Haruka rallied him while patting his left shoulder.

"Yeah… Rock Man… Are you alright?" Netto asked.

"I am. I will stay by your side, Netto – kun, and help you in any way I can. Deal?" Rock Man replied.

"Deal. So… Who brought me here? Enzan and the Officials?" Netto asked his parents.

"Well… That's…" Yuuichirou trailed off.

"An unknown man brought you here: the hospital then contacted us and we came here." Haruka replied.

"Chief Lezareno." Rock Man announced.

"What! The guy was still in the building?" Netto sounded surprised.

"Yeah. The clerk on charge of the "emergencies" section described him with a lot of detail: I'm sure there's no room for mistakes. He could've climbed back up by the emergency fire stairs after the elevator stopped working: it _had_ to after that brutal emergence of EM Radiation…" Rock Man explained.

"Ah! The visiting cards…! What did it say?" Netto asked.

"Not much… "Chief Lezareno. Security Department. Transferred from Ameroupe #1 Branch on 04/03/1999." … There was nothing else on it, either. I guess Enzan – kun and the Officials have already investigated it a thousand times by now but I'd rather say they got nothing out of it." Rock Man shrugged.

"Then… The third gunshot was either aimed to him or he shot the Boss guy… Because… They didn't find him, right?" Netto deduced.

"Correct. Enzan – kun did admit that there was no trace of him… The whole affair reeks." Yuuichirou admitted.

"Eh… Excuse me. May I come in?" Enzan's voice could be heard followed after a knock on the door.

"… Let him in. I wanna clear up these topics and I won't feel satisfied until I know what happened there." Netto requested.

"Fine. Come in!"

Enzan stepped in and politely greeted both Yuuichirou and Haruka before stopping next to Netto.

"Hikari. So you've finally awakened." He dully told him.

"Man… Take that mask off already and tell me what you know about that Lezareno guy." Netto told him.

"Well… Not much, really… We did check that visiting card but it didn't lead us anywhere…" Enzan admitted.

"But he _had _some involvement with Gospel, didn't the guy?" Netto asked him next.

"Of course. He was always meeting with Gauss Magnets regarding funding and, eventually, Gospel's Boss allowed him to meet in person. It'd seem he was always very cautious to not to let out anything specific and simply said that their organization was "large" and "discrete": the approaches began as soon as two weeks following the arrest of the "Professor" back in May." Enzan narrated.

"Hum. So it'd seem they zeroed on them quite soon, then…" Netto looked intrigued.

"Yeah. We checked the computers but the only data there was about the "Bug Fusion" stuff… I'm still surprised at how a Navi became such a horrible-looking monster…" Enzan sighed.

"What about the gun? Was it missing a third bullet?" Netto asked.

"No. The whole clip, 8 bullets in total if we discount the first 2, was drained. The cartridges and bullets were scattered around the floor in a small radius half-way around the room: they looked like they'd bounced off something thick and hard, given how they ended up bent or damaged: the ballistics expert was totally surprised: it wasn't like they'd hit a bulletproof vest because it only blocks bullets." Enzan detailed.

"Weird… Say… Was the gun I had really fake or not?" Netto looked surprised at the details.

"No. It was real, too. He simply had two of them." Enzan quickly replied with a shrug.

"Oh! He even complained about the drawer getting stuck when he wanted to open it and it'd seem he bought it at IKEA… And something about his body felt wrong. I mean… His hands didn't feel either cold or warm and they didn't seem to be skin, either!" Netto commented.

"I noticed that, too. And the kick to his torso seemed to give off more damage than it should've. Maybe "Gospel's boss" was just a disguise and the person happened to be lower in height than that."

"And you mean that you ended up kicking his face, thus why he seemed to feel more pain there?" Netto deduced.

"Yeah. Maybe the "head" per se was empty and, given how he didn't seem to move the mouth, he had a speaker hidden inside of it." Saito suggested to them.

"In fact… We picked some of his hair strands and checked them up: they were part of a wig which reinforces the "disguise" theory: but given how it was a disguise, nothing had fingerprints on it. All of the sever machines died and most of their circuitry is either overloaded or partly melted: they won't work again ever. Once we finish the on-site investigation, we're going to check the list of former residents of that mansion: the lobby list and mail boxes were blank. I guess the man bought the whole building little by little because there didn't seem too many habitants… That area was still feeling recession from the construction bubble in the 90s, even, see." Enzan narrated.

"Whoa. However… I'm starting to think that the one who actually saved us wasn't Lezareno but the man he spoke about: Mr. Sponsor." Netto suddenly admitted.

"Yeah? Why?" Enzan looked surprised.

"Lezareno was obviously intended on going back. The elevator didn't work, so he had to pick the stairs to go down! By the time Gospel was about to shoot, I calculate he could've climbed down about half of the floors: climbing back 15 floors can't be done so fast even if you're an athlete: you need several minutes. He wouldn't have made it on time. And he said that the man named Mr. Sponsor would "wrap up" the affair, too. So I guess he got there at that moment… Say, was there any wireless around there?" Saito exposed.

"Sure. One of the computers had an open low-power Wi-Fi which didn't come out of the room given how it was struggling with the EM radiation in the atmosphere. But any wireless device placed close enough and powerful enough could allow a Navi to get into the console and, from there, into your PET. There's such a register." Enzan confirmed.

"Like Enzan – sama said… We tested it ourselves although we obviously couldn't recreate that time's conditions." Blues spoke.

"Hum. Maybe that purple-colored outburst of light I saw before losing consciousness was some kind of distraction to call for the guy's attention and battle him?" Netto muttered.

"Purple-colored outburst of light…? Are you sure it was purple? Or did you imagine it?" Enzan frowned.

"Could be, too, but… Something tells me I wasn't. But it lasted only an instant: I then blacked out." Netto replied.

"Hmmm… I see. We're not making much progress, it'd seem… The head of the Officials won't be satisfied. Maybe we need to question Gauss Magnets further, too." Enzan muttered.

"Yeah. And something tells me we won't be seeing anything outta Lezareno for a while." Rock Man sighed.

"Men like him would rather go and keep a low profile… And how can we locate him inside of such a huge territory such as the Tokyo Prefecture, anyway?" Blues wondered.

"Dunno." Enzan sighed in defeat.

"Excuse us! May we come inside?" A familiar voice called out.

"Oh! Mariko – sensei!" Netto recognized it.

Oozono Mariko walked in followed by Dekao, Meiru and Yaito: she carried some white flowers which she set on a jar.

"Hikari – kun! I heard from them that you managed to stop this incident. Good work!" She told him.

"T-thanks, _sensei_…" Netto made a weak chuckle.

"I'll be going back. I need to write this down. Goodbye."

"Come anytime, Enzan!" Netto called out.

"Maybe." He merely replied.

"Che. That guy thinks he's the king of everything!" Yaito muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"Yaito – sama… I do not think this is a spot to speak ill about persons at all…" Glyde suggested.

"Yeah. Glyde is right, so… Drop it, Yaito – chan." Meiru told her.

"Rock! Are you alright?" Roll asked her.

"Well… Yeah, but…" He trailed off.

"Guts?" Guts Man wondered.

"Oi! Netto! You busted 'em all!" Dekao grinned.

"Heh, heh! _Thank you_, Dekao!" Netto blinked him an eye.

"We hope you get healthy soon enough." Mariko told him.

"Thank you, _sensei_… Everyone… I appreciate your support. I now need a relaxing vacation." Netto thanked.

"Well then… Let's go back, everyone."

"Goodbye~!"

A medic who looked close to his mid-twenties and had black hair complemented with brown eyes came in.

He had reading glasses on and sported a doctor's coat with the ID "Kazimura Lartes" the right side of the torso: he also carried a clipboard on his right hand.

"Hikari Netto – kun, right? I'm Dr. Lartes. I've been placed in charge of overseeing your evolution and recovery. We estimate a minimum of eighteen days for the hip to be decently healed and a minimum of about twenty-two days for the right shoulder. Of course: these numbers could increase or decrease depending on your evolution and the body's behavior..." The medic told him.

"I understand, Dr. Lartes… When will I be discharged?" Netto politely asked him.

"Hmmm… Tomorrow would do fine, I think."

"Is that so?" Yuuichirou asked.

"We only need to keep those wounds bandaged… He'll need to practice applying force with the left arm so as to use a cross to lean: the bandages should be changed every day but, given how the bleeding stopped and the wounds have been closed… It should no problem. It would be recommendable to come once a week for a check-up on the evolution of the healing, though." Dr. Lartes explained.

"I suppose this is one of your first cases, right? You look like you have just gotten your diploma and graduated from college…" Yuuichirou commented with a hint of curiosity.

"Yes, sir. That's correct, sir." He confirmed.

"I thought as much… Well then… Good luck, young one."

"Ah… Thank you very much, sir. Truth is… These notes were made by superior, so… I am still getting used to everything, sir… But my superior will be checking with my progress and give his point of view on the matter, too, sir…" Dr. Lartes politely bowed.

"Good enough. Go for it, young one." Yuuichirou encouraged.

"T-thank you very much, sir… If you will excuse me… I will go consult my superior, sir…" Dr. Lartes looked slightly nervous by now.

"Well, Netto… We're going home Later." Yuuichirou announced.

"Take care, both of you!" Haruka told him.

"O. K.!" Both replied.

Netto and Saito were left alone: Netto calmly lowered his body to be face-up on the bed and formed a smile.

"Well… I guess I'll be trying to enjoy this summer as much as I can." Netto told Saito.

"Yeah. Let's slice and dice." Saito made a rhyme.

11:38 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Che!"

A black Honda FRV was driving along the expressway: two men were inside.

The driver was Lezareno: he looked somewhat unsettled with something given his face.

Another man was sitting in the passenger's seat.

He was dressed in a black raincoat the hood of which hid his face and sported jeans.

His voice was rough and dry, with a bit of a cracked – like tone.

"I still can't believe it… He went to that extreme… That bothersome old man… What a thing he did!" Lezareno was cursing aloud.

"Fortunately for everyone, Mr. Sponsor made it there on the very nick of time… All which is left is to hope his strategy to remove the brainwashing works out." The passenger replied.

"True, Mr. Denpa… Yet… I can't shake this feeling of guilt. I was on the 14th floor when I heard the gunshots and it took me about 10 minutes to climb up there: one isn't so young anymore even though I used to excel at running." Lezareno formed a grimace.

"We are not omnipotent, Chief." Mr. Denpa told him.

"I knew that: one doesn't spend 15 years in our organization without being reminded that we aren't omnipotent or invincible: we have had flaws and had to correct them."

"Let's wait. Let's keep an eye on the old man: if he dares to make a move… That'll be when the police will receive the information and proof to seize him. I doubt that old man managing to even manage to convince _that person_ to cooperate with them, so…" Mr. Denpa calmly exposed.

"Hmpf. Before he can blink twice… He will have fallen. A fitting end for such a fool… You will rot away until nothing is left… Hah!"


	3. Chapter 3: The challenge

**Chapter 3: The challenge**

10:05 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday August the 20th…

"… Hum. Let's check."

A man was sitting in a revolving chair looking at a big LCD screen located inside of a largely blackened room.

The only light came from the glow of the LCD screen.

A man was sitting in a revolving chair looking at a big LCD screen located inside of a largely blackened room: the only light came from the glow of the LCD screen.

The man seemed to be on his early twenties: his hair was black but his eyes' irises were red.

He was wearing a kind of body armor made of an unknown material which was painted grey with purple patterns on it.

A ragged, stained and torn purple cape hung from the back his shoulders and reached all the way to the floor.

He had two swords sheaths attached to his belt: a round crest with a purple "V" drawn on it could be seen set on his chest.

The screen displayed some data and the man seemed to be reading it at a slow pace while seemingly trying to take its meaning in.

The screen displayed some data and the man seemed to be reading it at a slow pace while seemingly trying to take its meaning in: he looked calm and collected.

"Hmpf. Its attempts keep on failing. But he's located the Tetra Codes and gathered some rather competent grunts to handle that… Let's check those out and set some tabs on them." The man muttered.

His revolving chair slid forward one or two meters along with a small mechanical hum: he reached a console having multiple levers, switches, LEDs, indicators, an integrated keyboard and a mouse-pad: he began to type into the keyboard and one file showed up onscreen.

"Let's see… Inukai Takeo… 38… Yoka Yoka Zoo worker… Net Navi: Beast Man EXE. He could be in charge of picking the Zoo's Tetra Code given his position." The man muttered.

He hit the "right" directional arrow to switch files.

"Saiko Rei… 36… Unemployed… Expert on hypnosis, they say… Net Navi: Flash Man EXE… Electric Attribute… I dunno about this one unless he wants to set a hypnosis show as a cover…" He muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

He shrugged and brought out another file.

"Hmmm… Anetta… 17… Part-time hospital nurse… Ecologist… Net Navi: Plant Man EXE. This one gives me a bad vibe for some reason or another, dunno why… And he's obviously picked her to sneak into Seaside Hospital and get the Tetra Code there… _Femme fatale_, as the Frenchmen do use to say… Ironic." The man muttered while lifting his eyebrows.

He made a dismissing gesture with his right hand.

"Last… Sunayama Noboru… DNN TV Station Director… Net Navi: Desert Man EXE… Dunno what use he has… Maybe they want to try to do something like the job they granted Higure… Emit propaganda through the TV this time around… Have a desert for desserts… What a pun."

He stretched before he requested some additional info.

"Solo Navis again… Bubble Man EXE… Drill Man EXE… Apparently, both are cousins with each other… Maybe this Bubble Man is supposed to make ruckus with the Waterworks again while Drill Man looks like he's the one to drill into the Science Labs Forbidden Section and steal _it_ in front of the Officials' noses." The man read up aloud.

He closed his eyes before he slowly inhaled and exhaled.

"… My little project is advancing. Like I thought… It's the only way. They'll understand. But, firstly… I should really test them out after they recover: spending a month without doing Net Battles will rush them… Well. Time to get back to work…"

12:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So… That new Curry Shop is around here?"

"Yeah. I'm glad you let me into the 'club'. I owe you big, after all, Hikari – kun."

"Just call me Netto, Hikawa Tooru – kun."

Netto was walking down a street at a slow pace: he looked rather recovered by now and was accompanied by Yaito, Meiru, Dekao and a fourth classmate.

This classmate had brown chestnut hair and eyes like Netto's but was about 5cm shorter than him.

He sported a yellowish jumper with a pocket on the front plus grayish shorts and sneakers.

"When did it open?" Dekao asked.

"About five days ago…" Tooru frowned.

"They say they do good curry!" Meiru added.

"Heh! It may be worth it." Yaito grinned.

"Thanks for bringing me along, desu!" Ice Man thanked.

"Don't mind, Ice Man. You're a friend, too!" Rock Man told him with a welcoming smile.

"Friends are always welcome." Glyde announced.

"Guts, guts!"

"There goes Gorilla Man and his Gorilla Idiom." Roll joked.

"Gattsu~!" Guts Man uttered in panic.

"Oi! Meiru! What was that for?" Dekao asked.

"Who knows?" Meiru teased.

"Cha better have fast legs to outrun a girl's chase." Yaito giggled.

"Man." Dekao muttered.

"Heh, heh!" Netto and Tooru chuckled.

The group of five reached a small store the banner of which read the following:

"Curry Shop Maha Ichiban's."

"The name looks cool." Dekao grinned.

"… Maha… It rings a bell somewhere." Netto frowned.

"Heh, heh, heh! Yeah! _Maja_: it's a Spanish expression to mean "cutie" or "beauty"!" Dekao whispered.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tooru looked skeptical.

"Ahem, ahem!" Both girls protested.

"Ah…! Hum…" Dekao gulped.

"Don't say unnecessary stuff!" Both girls scolded.

"Man." Dekao sighed.

The automatic sliding door opened and the group stepped in: the locale was simple in design and not too large: the left side had four tables with sofas built on it and the counter was set on the right: rotator stools were placed in front of it: the only customers were two businessmen in the far most table chatting in a low tone of voice.

"Welcome! Allow me to welcome you gentlemen to…" A voice began to announce before trailing off.

"T-that guy is…!" Netto gasped.

A man had showed up behind the counter and he looked totally surprised upon spotting the customers.

"WWW's Maha Jarama: Magic Man's Operator! What are you doing here?" Netto recalled.

"Eh… Please allow me to explain!" He requested.

"Oi! Maha! What's going on?" A man called out.

"That voice…!" Netto muttered.

"Uo~h! T-that guy is…!" The newcomer gasped.

"You're Fire Man's Operator: Hinoken! The guy who stole the Fire Program from my home…!" Netto recognized him.

"_By George_! Will someone explain what's going on? Did an _otaku_ crowd come in or what?" Someone asked.

A third man came in from a storeroom placed to the counter's left: he also gasped.

"I remember that guy…! He trapped us inside of the Science Labs' underground restaurant and stole the Elec Program! We almost died from lack of air there! Count Elec: Elec Man's Operator! Why the heck are the WWW guys here?" Netto exclaimed.

"Yeah! Explain!" Dekao challenged.

"Oi, oi… What's with the ruckus?" A woman asked.

"That voice…!" Meiru made a grimace.

A fourth person came inside and her jaw hit the floor.

"Iroaya Madoi: Colored Man's Operator! You abducted Tooru – kun here to blackmail the Waterworks director, stole the Aqua Program, tried to sell a program to fix car errors at an extravagant price, made the bus Meiru was on go berserk and, finally, tried to blow it up!" Netto yelled at her.

"Yeah! I remember that way too well!" Meiru made a grimace.

"Do excuse us." One of the two businessmen suddenly stood up and walked over to them.

"Net Police Detectives." Another displayed his wallet.

"Huh? Net Police…?" Tooru wondered.

_Huh? What's the deal? _Netto wondered.

"Correct. The judge decided that, as part of a new experimental reformation plan, a sentence on community hours could be granted to them, so… Mr. Maha Jarama is good at making _curry_, thus they were granted a license to open this shop."

"A share of the profits made goes to social works. We come here every day to monitor their actions, but, insofar, it would seem they are playing fair. Were they to show any symptoms of plotting something against society, this store will be closed down and they will be interned in prison for their actions carried out as members of the defunct WWW." The second detective detailed.

"Ah! So that's how it is." Netto muttered.

"Well… If the Net Police keeps track of them… I'd say nothing bad can happen from it. Yet… I still remember way too well how much that powered-up attack from Magic Man inflicted such grave damage to my Navi frame…" Rock Man looked annoyed.

"We understand that they have caused damage and you all still hold resentment of it, but… The judge decided to grant them one chance to redeem for what they did. So, please, try to forget for a little while about those grudges and enjoy the meal. It is not good to eat while not feeling content." The first detective suggested.

"Fine. If the judge did say so, then… It's only been five days. We'll see what happens." Netto decided.

The group sat down on one table while the earlier atmosphere seemed to vent off: Hinoken timidly brought some menus before heading back into the kitchen: Maha disappeared inside of it, too, and the remaining two headed into the storeroom: the detectives resumed their earlier posts.

"… Should we try to apologize…?" Magic Man whispered to his comrades.

"Well…" Fire Man trailed off.

"That could be rather hard…" Elec Man muttered.

"It's too early… Let's give it some time…" Colored Man whispered back.

16:33 PM (Japan Time), Sunday August the 26th…

"… Phew! It's been three weeks… But I finally healed yesterday! It feels so good to be able to walk and use the arm in a normal manner…! Sorry for the burden, Papa!"

"Don't mind it, Netto."

Netto was following Yuuichirou as they walked down a Science Labs corridor: Netto looked totally animated and he was now holding what seemed to be a new PET design on his right hand.

This new-model PET had a main square body but the lower half adopted a curved shape while the right side had a slightly irregular-shaped metallic handle to it: the emblem was set just below the screen.

Two golden lines formed parallel to the screen and travelled down until they drew a circle around the emblem: the lower section had seven stroke-shaped objects built into it.

Overall, it looked more practical than the previous bulky PETs and it easily fitted in one's hand.

Netto sported a black plastic couch with reddish edges and a frontal pocket which looked like it'd been affixed using four small screws and a central bigger one: this pouch was attached to the right side of his shorts.

"The PET II: came out two days ago… IPC sure made it cool! It's more practical to handle not to mention that it uses IR beams to Plug – In: say bye to the bothersome wire!" Netto grinned.

"Yeah. Feels comfortable! Truth to be told. It makes me feel lighter and faster too!" Saito admitted.

"Now… I'm about to reveal a new tech which will make you two end up awed." Yuuichirou teased.

"Heh, heh! When Papa says he's got something new… Then it's totally worth it, I say!" Netto grinned.

"Here we are: come in!"

Both stepped into a large metallic room which contained a large glass-paneled box with four cylinders set atop it and several wires travelling from it to a control console of sorts: the box had a metallic platform inside of it as well.

"Whoa! Huge~!" Netto whistled in surprised.

"I'd never seen this before even though I've spent six years living and walking around the Science Labs." Saito admitted.

"Of course not: I've been working long on this but I kept it secret because I didn't want to ruin the surprise!" Yuuichirou smiled at them.

He headed over to the console and picked something which he handed over to Netto: he picked it with the left hand and had a look at it.

"Wow."

The object was Chip which had a green crystalline dome on its center surrounded by a black edge plus a line extending in an irregular manner across the left flank of it: the Hikari family crest was set just below that black line: the color of the Chip was a metallic blue and it included the contacts on the lower edge of its body.

"Whoa. This doesn't look like a Battle Chip…" Netto muttered.

"Call it "Synchro Chip": it's a new development altogether!" Yuuichirou announced.

"If I had to guess… That machine over there and this Chip have something in common?" Saito guessed.

"Good guess, Saito! Yeah. Those cylinders atop the box are called "Dimensional Converters". They generate an enclosed area, a "Dimensional Area", in which Cyber World and Real World merge: you can "materialize" data inside of it, even. After all… It's a secure environment because either entering or exiting it is hard for any vulgar Net Navi. It can do as a containment field too."

"Whoa~! And then, what does this "Synchro Chip" do, Papa?" Netto looked taken in.

"That's the core of the whole stuff: as long as both of you act in a synchronized manner and your "Synchronism" ratio goes over 90%, then… It becomes possible for a Navi to enter the real world by "borrowing" his Operator's body: a human and Net Navi fusion!"

"Human and…!" Netto began.

"Net Navi…!" Saito gasped.

"Fusion…!" Both muttered.

"That's called "Cross Fusion": you will be able to act like a Navi and fight Viruses or other Navis inside of this space! It's a new system to help bridge humans and Navis together."

"S-so cool…! Niisan…! We MUST try it out!" Netto called out.

"Yeah! Please, Papa!" Saito begged.

"No need to beg! You are going to be the first time ever users. Begin by selecting 5 Battle Chips and placing them on the PET II's Reserve Slots so that you can use them during "Cross Fusion": the PET and Saito will break down into data which will overlap with your body: it'll be like getting a new layer of clothing!" Yuuichirou smiled.

Netto quickly deposited the PET II and the "Synchro Chip" on top of the console and checked the pouch attached to the right side of his shorts: he opened a small pocket and took several Chips out which he began to sort.

"Hmmm… Let's see… Long Sword, Hi Cannon, Fumikomizan, Area Steal, Guts Punch… I guess these will do…"

Netto stored the rest of the Chips and picked the PET: he opened its cover (which ended slightly beneath the emblem spot) to reveal the inside of the PET II.

The insides had a gray metallic body with a central round button and two oval-shaped buttons set in diagonal aiming for the main button: they were set exactly at the spot beneath the cover's emblem.

"Heh, heh. This PET's too cool…"

The other traits were the visible Reserve Slots atop the LCD screen and a small red arrow pointing downwards below the main button: the underside of the cover had the emblem on it, too.

"Let's go!" Netto grinned.

He quickly set the Battle Chips inside of the Reserve Slots and then closed the cover: he picked the "Synchro Chip" and rushed inside of the box to stand atop the small round platform: he turned around to face Yuuichirou: he made the thumbs up sign and clapped.

"Meijin! Please come give me a hand."

"Roger!"

Meijin came in with a smile and waved his right hand at Netto to greet him.

"Meijin – san!"

"_San wa iranai_, Netto – kun! You did well on the Civilian Net Battle License Exams! I got told you even passed the hardest of them: the "SSS" License Exam!" Meijin told him with a smile.

"Please… Don't praise me too much!" Netto blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"Hey! Gate Man. How's everything?" Rock Man called out.

"Fine enough… I'm in train of teaching newbie guys the ropes." Gate Man calmly replied.

"O. K.! Dimensional Area: Activate!" Yuuichirou commanded.

"Dimensional Area: Activate!" Meijin confirmed.

He slowly pushed a lever up and the cylindrical devices began to emit a sound as pale blue light travelled across its circuitry and seemingly ignited: the interior of the box was filled with several random-colored hexagons and they gave way to a smooth energy-made layer which encompassed the whole interior of the box: all colors got mixed at random thus generating a distinct feeling.

"Whoa…" Both sounded awed.

"Netto! Saito! Listen well: you must work together to be able to successfully use "Cross Fusion". No bickering." Yuuichirou called out.

"Roger! Ready, niisan?"

"Ready, Netto – kun!"

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!" Netto began before both he and Saito synchronized their announcement.

Netto instinctively spread his arms and legs as the PET emitted a round sphere of light which expanded and began to encompass him: he closed his eyes as he felt how something was forming around his forearms, feet and shoulders before a new object pressed against his chest and the rest of his body: he felt something forming around his head as well as an extra feature assembling behind him.

"Success…?" Yuuichirou tensely muttered.

The light began to dim: both Meijin and he gasped in surprise at the new sight.

"Success!" Both exclaimed.

Netto had now gained Saito's bodysuit over his body although there were some slight design differences.

The bodysuit at didn't seem to have the patterns Rock Man's bodysuit had.

The helmet had gained two curved extensions which spread along the surface of the helmet: a yellowish curve with a stick-shaped green-colored drawing below it was imprinted on the forehead thus replacing Rock Man's usual drawing: a piece had formed over the nose along with the face-mask.

Netto's hair grew out from behind the helmet (on the lower rear edge) and spread in an orderly manner forming five small cones with spaces shaped like "V" characters in the in-between.

His bodysuit had some new patterns on it too: blue color bands were set in a group of three on his legs below the hips and above the knees while a pattern had been drawn around the chest emblem.

The rest of the body design (forearms, boots, emblem and back-pack plus shoulder-pads) remained unchanged.

"We did… it…?" Netto slowly muttered as he opened his eyes.

"Whoa! I can see Papa and Meijin – san!" Saito exclaimed: his voice sounded like he was still inside of the PET.

"Niisan…? Whoa~! I've become a Navi…!" Netto exclaimed.

"That's not really true, Netto – kun! My bodysuit formed over your body and the "Synchro Chip" program allowed some slightly tuning to it. You're still a human! Papa said it: you're wearing another layer of clothing! That's how it is!" Saito corrected.

"Oh! True, true… Eh… Let's test it out! Rock Buster!"

The Rock Buster formed and Cross Fusion Netto shot some shots at random: he looked awed.

"So cool…! Let's test some Battle Chips!" Netto exclaimed.

"I'll deploy some targets to practice." Yuuichirou announced.

Some small metallic spheroids formed inside of the area while Cross Fusion Netto formed the Long Sword and the Fumikomizan: he warped and quickly sliced both of them as another two appeared inside of the box: Netto grinned.

"Yessir! Let's go~!"

He used the Area Steal and shot the Hi Cannon at it before hitting the remaining one with the Guts Punch: Yuuichirou and Meijin clapped in approval.

"Good work! This is enough. Yell "Cross Out" to revert."

"Cross Out!"

All of the bodysuit became data and assembled into the air to reform the PET II: Netto picked it and grinned before he stepped out as the "Dimensional Area" stopped functioning.

"Maybe I'll praise you today." A voice rang out.

Enzan came in walking at his calm pace and having his stone face on: Netto lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yo! Enzan. Ya came to test this out, too?"

"Correct. This way I won't be stuffed into a lower category." Enzan merely shrugged.

"Ijuuin – kun! Come over here: this is your "Synchro Chip"." Yuuichirou called out.

"Thank you, sir."

Enzan walked over to Yuuichirou and calmly picked his Synchro Chip up: he then headed inside of the box.

"Blues. Is all ready?" Enzan questioned.

"Yes, sir. We can start anytime, Enzan – sama." Blues confirmed.

"Good. Look on, Hikari. I'll make your design seem pale in comparison to mine." Enzan challenged.

"Bring it on." Netto challenged back.

Yuuichirou rolled his eyes and didn't seem to like Enzan's attitude as evidenced by his sigh.

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

The same outburst of light formed as Enzan seemingly underwent his "Cross Fusion" sequence inside of it and Netto lifted his eyebrows again while forming a smile.

"Coming?" He wondered.

"Sure. Have a look." Saito smiled.

The light dimmed to reveal Cross Fusion Enzan's design.

His helmet design was almost identical to Blues' but his shades were more transparent than Blues' own: the silver hair came out from behind the helmet and reached all the way to the ground.

The colors remained unchanged for the bodysuit and the armor yet there were two white patterns climbing up towards the edges of the shoulders drawn on his chest armor.

His arms' skin coloring was divided in two: the upper half was colored in a gray/blackish color while the lower half was tinted mild blue.

Red armor had formed over his forearms with one small wing-like formation set over the wrist: the armor around it had two round white bands reinforcing it plus a piece of bodysuit over the hand's palm which had his emblem drawn into it, too.

The rest of his bodysuit until the hips was colored in that combination of mild blue and grayish/blackish color running down the sides of it: there was a red triangle drawn over each hip before his boots began at a slightly lower spot.

An amber-colored diamond surrounded by black edges was built over the knees plus two extra white bands of armor around the knees themselves: the front edge of the boots was colored white and it had a golden rim marking the border between both colors.

"I guess I get a "pass", too." He announced with a grin.

"Enzan – sama. The "Cross Fusion" is a success, sir." Blues reported.

"Good. Let's check it out: Long Blade!"

"CF" Blues quickly moved around and hit one target: he then shot a Sonic Boom at another as well and dashed towards a third to cut it in half: he calmly landed back on the ground and stood up.

"Good, Ijuuin – kun! Experiment: over." Yuuichirou called out.

"Cross Out!"

Enzan calmly picked his PET II and stepped out while lifting his eyebrows at Netto: Netto replied in the same fashion.

"Good job." Someone announced.

A man who looked on his fifties and had some patches of gray hair on his largely bald head as well as a moustache came in.

He didn't seem to be very tall but his body was a bit wider than the usual: he wore a green suit.

"He is Commissioner Kifune of the Net Police." Yuuichirou introduced to them.

"Ah. Commissioner Kifune, sir… I've heard about you, sir." Enzan politely admitted.

"Ijuuin – kun: you've done a good job for the Officials insofar. Would you mind cooperating with our new "Net Savior" department from time to time? Your skills could prove sharp to boost it up." Commissioner Kifune invited.

"Net Savior…?" Enzan asked.

"Correct. Similar to the Officials, but, instead of being under the leadership of the ONBA… They would be under my direct command and members of the Net Police. They would also investigate Cyber World – related manner. But rest assured: both ranks are parallel and there's no real difference on the field. It's just a new system to allow for skilled Net Battlers to be able to help solve incidents in a discrete manner: their names aren't made public." Kifune detailed.

"I see, sir. Wait a minute, sir. I think I know why you bothered to come here, sir…" Enzan suddenly muttered.

"Correct. Netto – kun. How is it? Would you like to participate into the project as well?" Kifune offered.

"Count me in, sir! I'd like to be able to officially help others. And I have the "SSS" License, so I think it should be a proof of my skills' level…" Netto replied with a grin.

"Good! Then consider yourself a Net Savior from now on. Allow me to grant you this."

Kifune rummaged on his suit's right pocket and took out a small Battle Chip which he handed to Netto: he slotted it in and his PET II suddenly projected a 3D hologram of a green hexagon with the Alphabet initials "NS" set on it.

"Wow! Is this a Net Savior badge, sir?" Netto asked.

"Correct."

"Hmpf. So we're now equal… It'll be amusing to see exactly how "equal" we will end up being." Enzan looked amused.

"Ijuuin – kun. Please try to not be so self-centered. It's not good. You should be more considerate. Didn't he care about you and Blues? You should prove that you appreciate it." Yuuichirou told him.

"… Eh… That is…" Enzan trailed off.

"There's no need for that mask. Your father isn't following you everywhere, right? When you're not in a public mission or something, you can be a normal person." Yuuichirou advised.

"… I'll try, sir…" Enzan sighed.

"That's good. Try it at the very least. You can't decide on something without having tried to tackle it on firstly. Take it easy, young man! Heh, heh." Yuuichirou smiled.

A cell phone's tune rang out and Commissioner Kifune searched his suit's inner pocket to take this out.

"Do excuse me."

He walked away some steps before patching the call in.

"Oh! Manabe – kun… What? Someone _directly_ called at _my_ office and requested to speak with me? Has he identified himself? He's still on the line…? Engage my phone's speaker and let me speak with him: this must be serious." Kifune commanded.

"… Commissioner Kifune – sama?" A dry, rough and cracked-like voice asked.

"Who are you?" Kifune questioned.

"It's a secret for the time being. And I'm not fond of jokes, sir."

"What do you want?" Kifune demanded.

"To report something..." The man trailed off.

"Report what?"

"I caught a little bird and brought it to a crow's nest. However… It would be amusing to have a recently promoted cadet come to try and rescue it in a _clichéd_ manner… My toys are itching for some action…"

"Recently…? You mean…?" Kifune gasped.

"Hikari Jr. – sama." He confirmed.

"Hikari Jr. – sama…? Sounds weird…" Netto frowned.

"By "bird" you mean a person, don't you?" Enzan guessed.

"Ah. Ijuuin Jr. – sama is around, too. Do rest assured: that cold as ice person is not orbiting around you or watching you 24/7 either."

"You seem to know many things… But how could you know about Hikari's promotion? It isn't even 5 minutes old… Unless…"

"Correct. A little dragonfly let me know. Anyway… That bird lives in a nest adjacent to Hikari Jr. – sama's. You know who I mean, right? Hikari Jr. – sama would do wise to come at the 5th district's former Fanshon Clothing Shop used to own. I'll be waiting to challenge him: it'll be intriguing to see what uses that "Cross Fusion" tech has… Well then… Come anytime!"

"Damn. He cut us off." Kifune growled.

"What are we waiting for? This guy caught Meiru and I'm not gonna let him do whatever he wants!" Netto rallied.

"… I'll go as backup. Let's move out!" Enzan announced.

17:31 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here, huh…"

"Remember: if you don't come out in 5 minutes, then I go in. 2 will be better than just 1 person."

"I approve. Be careful, Netto – kun!"

"Roger!"

Netto climbed down from the green car and ran into the storehouse: the insides were rather empty and had several concrete and steel columns: a group of five was built on the center of it: Meiru was tied to the central one and had a white wool gag on her: Netto rushed towards her but she suddenly yelled something muffled by the gag.

"What? Don't worry, Meiru! I've come to rescue you!" Netto called out to her.

She only moved her head around as if to tell him not to come closer: Netto suddenly spotted some thin tensed wires forming an intricate maze around the four columns and originating from some square boxes set atop them.

"What the…? What's that?" He cursed.

"Wires, plastic boxes, Meiru – chan's behavior… Could it be…? Be careful, Netto – kun! I think that's C4: a plastic bomb!" Saito gasped.

"What!" Netto gasped.

BANG!

A shot rang out and Netto suddenly jumped and flipped backwards out of instinct as a bullet hit the concrete floor and bounced off it before lying still on the ground.

"G-gun… S-someone h-here h-has a g-gun…! T-they're shooting a gun: I'm gonna end up like before!" Netto nervously muttered while turning white.

"Cool it down, Netto – kun! Breathe deeply!"

"Heh, heh, heh. So! You came. Hikari Jr. – sama!" The earlier voice rang out from close by.

Netto spotted a man leaning next to the NE column.

He looked on his sixties: his hair was also gray and a visible moustache could be seen while his eyes' irises were blue.

The man was dressed with a grey shirt and a red tie beneath it.

He sported an opened brown coat along with brown shoes while his pants were colored grey.

He was toying with a Colt Single Action Army revolver which he held on his right hand and carried ammunition belts as well.

"You're the man from before: the culprit!" Netto exclaimed.

"Revolver Ocelot would be better." The man replied.

"Revolver… Ocelot… Oi. Niisan. How do you say "Ocelot" in Japanese? Is that a foreign animal?" Netto whispered to him.

"Well… That's _yamaneko_: and you find it on Ameroupe… He can be mistaken by a normal cat at a first glance but they're slightly larger, I think…" Saito whispered back.

"Behold! My ace-in-the-hole!" Ocelot suddenly announced.

He pocketed the Colt Single Action Army revolver on its pouch and took out a simple remote colored black and with two buttons colored red and blue: he aimed it as it was a weapon before holding it vertically.

"Heh, heh, heh. Let's make this showdown fairer. I'm a mercenary and a man named Lezareno hired me to "test" you two." He told them.

"Lezareno! Where the heck is the guy at?" Netto questioned while looking annoyed.

"Hmmm… Who knows? Maybe he decided to go cool off at Siberia to find me…" Ocelot teased.

"That remote… Is that the bombs' detonator?" Saito asked.

"Wrong, Rock Man EXE! It's a device to call up the stuffed tubes which smell just like you'd soaked them with _Channel 5_ perfume." He replied with a hint of amusement to his voice.

"Very funny." Saito grumbled.

Ocelot pressed the blue button: the ground shook and four "Dimensional Converters" suddenly emerged _from_ the walls, floor and ceiling using some kind of small "portal" distortion: they ignited one after another and they covered up the whole storehouse.

"A "Dimensional Area"…? But no – one expect the Science Labs has researched this…!" Netto looked awed.

"Bring out that shiny shining shine." Ocelot made up a rhyme.

"Sounds so silly… Whatever. Ready, Rock Man?"

"Yeah! I'm ready anytime!"

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Ocelot momentarily brought his right arm up to shield his eyes from the suddenly outburst of light: Cross Fusion Netto appeared on the scene and Meiru looked surprised.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll let out something: bullets can't penetrate that thick bodysuit. They'll just bounce off and get deformed." Ocelot chuckled as he drew the Colt Single Action Army again.

"Bounce off and get deformed…? Wait! That's exactly like what happened to Gospel's Boss' bullets… I see…! That Mr. Sponsor guy had some kind of thick body armor which allowed him to do that…!" Cross Fusion Netto gasped.

"Hrah!"

Ocelot suddenly crouched and moved to the left while shooting bullets off his Colt Single Action Army: they began to bounce off and one or two grazed against Cross Fusion Netto's bodysuit: he focused and drew the Rock Buster while trying to spot where Ocelot was at.

"Hikari! What the hell is going on?" Cross Fusion Enzan demanded as he ran in.

"So! The two "CF" warriors have gathered… Why don't you two try to place the initial "CF" in front of your first name or your Navi's name?"

"Who the hell is that?" "CF" Blues demanded.

"Revolver Ocelot: mercenary! Lezareno hired him to "test" us. We can't get close to Meiru 'cause there are those C4 boxes up there and the bombs could go off at the slightest touch of those." "CF" Netto summed up.

"Hum. I see. So we should try to apprehend the guy."

"Be careful! He's terribly skilled with that gun."

"It's not "that gun": the Colt Single Action Army! Six bullets! More than enough to kill anything that moves! Now I'll show why they call me "Revolver"… Heh, heh, heh…" Ocelot called out as he popped out at the left of the NW column while using his left hand to aim.

"Sonic Boom!"

Ocelot, however, crouched and jumped towards the right: he popped half his body to the right of the same column and shot from his crouched position at the ground, making the bullet bounce off: it grazed against "CF" Blues' helmet forehead.

"Crap. This guy is serious." "CF" Blues muttered.

"I love the thrill of reloading in the midst of a battle… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" Ocelot chuckled.

"Reload…? I thought guns had more bullets than just 6…" "CF" Netto muttered aloud.

"The Colt Single Action Army is outdated by today's standards! Only a few are produced worldwide and mostly for collections. It's the first time I've seen someone use it in live combat." Blues reported.

"Whoa." "CF" Netto whistled in surprise.

"No surprise: it was firstly adopted by the Ameroupe Army as far as in 1873! Better weapons came after a few decades and it's fallen into total abandonment given its limited capacity and lengthy reload time: all bullets' cartridges must be manually ejected and you must then load each bullet into the chamber." Blues detailed.

"No wonder it's outdated… But he seems to be so skilled at it that he can reload it very quickly…!" "CF" Netto muttered.

"I've been using this gun for over 35 years! Ironically enough… It was an Ameroupe secret field agent who suggested it to me given my style and how my Makarov PMM jammed when I tried to show off with it… Summer 1964… My. What memories…" Ocelot called out.

"Whoa. Summer 1964… And from his talk, he lived in the Soviet Union back then! He had to be quite young back then…" "CF" Netto muttered.

"Totally ironic how he ended up adopting the enemy's weapon upon his advice… He had to be a privileged guy so at been able to do that without any serious consequences." "CF" Blues deduced.

"Of course… Given some "influences", I was made into the Major of a GRU Special Units Squad: the Ocelot Unit. Sadly… Some misfortunes led to me to end up being a KGB agent… I did well even without my unit until the fall of the Soviet Union: I then became a skilled mercenary and I've traveled vast and wide." He narrated as he reloaded his SAAs revolvers.

"Careful. Let's aim for one each." "CF" Blues whispered.

"Roger."

"Draw!" Ocelot announced.

"Rock Buster!"

"Sonic Boom!"

Both attacks made the SAA revolvers jump off his hands but he quickly drew a _third_ SAA revolver: he shot two bullets aimed towards their feet and they dodged them: Ocelot used the window to retrieve his two weapons and stored the third.

"Crap. He tricked us. We gotta find a way to have him quit." "CF" Blues muttered.

"Wait! Blues! Does the SAA revolver have any particular mechanical defect at all?" Saito asked in a whisper.

"Well… If you're not careful and apply too much lateral force to the barrel chamber, it will dislodge…" Blues whispered back.

"Let's aim for the barrel chamber… I take point: try to cover me!" "CF" Netto whispered.

"Not a bad idea, for once… Fine."

"Rock Buster!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"CF" Blues aimed his Sonic Boom to bounce off the east wall and forcing Ocelot to jump towards the west to take cover at the left of the NW column: "CF" Netto lied face-down on the floor and aimed his Rock Buster towards the barrel chambers: the shots met their targets and they dislodged to Ocelot's disbelief: he picked the third one but "CF" Netto predicted it and did the same.

"Now! Area Steal!"

"CF" Blues warped in front of Ocelot as he hurriedly picked his weapons and stuffed them into their pouches.

"Game Over." "CF" Blues announced.

"I wonder about that, young one…" He calmly replied.

"What?" "CF" Blues questioned.

One of the "Dimensional Converters" suddenly emitted sounds and a vertical shaft of white light formed on Ocelot's feet: he hovered a few centimeters above the ground while having a broad smug smile on his face.

"Farewell! The C4 bombs are fakes! Heh, heh, heh!"

His body suddenly disappeared while the "DCs" vanished inside of those "portals": the "DA" vanished and both picked up their PET IIs before rushing to Meiru: Enzan took out a pocket knife and used it to quickly cut through the wires: they reached Meiru and Netto took out the gag: she coughed and tried to recover her breath while Enzan worked on the other wires.

"W-what happened…?" She asked.

"That's our motto." Netto replied.

"Well… I'd come out of home to go visit Yaito – chan when someone jumped into me from behind… Something which reeked was pressed against my face and I lost consciousness… Next thing I knew, I saw you coming in and this happened… What's going on?" She explained.

"Well… If you mean those bodysuits… It's a new technology Papa came up with… It's a secret, though! As for that guy… They hired him to "test" us, it'd seem. Things are very mysterious around here." Netto summarized.

"What a fright!" Meiru protested.

"Yeah. We know. Let's go: Commissioner Kifune will drive us back at our district. And please don't tell anyone yet: I'll explain things tomorrow with calm. O. K.?" Netto requested.

"O. K. By the way… It'd rather say you lack subtleness."

"What?" Netto frowned.

Meiru merely hit his forehead with her right hand's index finger two or three times before heading off: both he and Enzan looked surprised.

"What was that?" Netto wondered.

"Dunno." Enzan admitted.

"Guess it's a teaser…" Saito muttered.

"A teaser…? A movie teaser…?" Netto frowned.

"No~…" Saito muttered with a hint of frustration.

18:07 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Incoming transmission. Caller ID: Mr. Denpa."

"Patch it through, Black Ace."

"Roger, sir."

The unidentified man had been going over what seemed to be the website of a newspaper when an auto-voice rang out inside of the room.

"Good afternoon." Ocelot greeted as he showed up onscreen.

"Mr. Denpa. You seem to be that character's number 1 fan." The man told him with a hint of amusement.

"Heh, heh. It was so easy…" Mr. Denpa shrugged.

"Well then… The next one will be handled by Colonel Talos. He will make sure to do a good job." The man calmly announced.

"Roger, Mr. Sponsor. Ah. By the way, sir… Is your "strategy" progressing enough?" Mr. Denpa asked.

"Yeah. And my project is practically complete. I guess I can finish both in about 10 days from now. We're making good progress and that bothersome man is still stuck… It'd seem my _Three Musketeers_ are making it hard for him to find _that guy_." Mr. Sponsor smiled.

"True, sir, true… I am glad to hear it, sir… We shall force that bothersome man to make a move: and it will bring its downfall. What should we do about his son, though?" Mr. Denpa asked.

"Leave it to me: some rumors and then a direct warning are a cocktail strong enough to shake any villain's confidence." Mr. Sponsor confirmed.

"Excellent… Well then… Goodbye, sir."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Denpa."

The screen returned to normal: Mr. Sponsor chuckled aloud.

_Good job, you two. Do your best! _


	4. Chapter 4: Captured!

**Chapter 4: Captured!**

10:22 AM (Japan Time), Monday August the 27th…

"… Good morning, Commissioner Kifune."

"Good morning, Netto – kun."

"Has something happened, sir?"

"It has: we have a potential lead."

Netto was standing in front of Commissioner Kifune's desk inside of an office with sights to the city.

"We received some coordinates to the entrance of a former JDSF shelter facility… I sent some policemen to check it out: this entrance only allows one to reach a subway terminus: the subway train itself was parked there, but given how the tunnel's entrance was sealed by a massive lock door, they've been unable to progress: that terminus itself is the start of the train, so… I've called for you because I suspect it needs a Net Navi's abilities to be opened. I'd requested the aid of Ijuuin – kun were it not for the fact that he is currently overseas due to his company's work. And I rather think Lezareno arranged for it to become a "test" like he did with that Ocelot man." Kifune exposed.

"I understand, sir. How do I get there?" Netto asked.

"Superintendent Manabe – kun will drive you there. Be careful: we do not know yet what could be waiting there." Kifune instructed.

"Hikari – kun? Please come with me."

A lady on her 30s walked in.

She wore a pink suit with a knee-long skirt and had brown hair plus green eyes.

"Ah… Nice to meet you, Manabe – san."

"Commissioner." She seemingly requested confirmation.

"Go!" Kifune rallied.

10:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So this is the place…"

"Correct. We are in the very outskirts of the Densan City, about 8 kilometers SSW of the Net Police HQ."

Netto and Manabe climbed down from a car and headed for a small decaying concrete building with no distinct banners: two large steel doors were open and two policemen were standing guard at their sides: a set of steps descended underground.

"Let's go, Hikari – kun."

They both headed inside and climbed down about 100 steps until they reached the subway terminus: a small three-wagon-long subway was parked there: the room had a vault ceiling made of concrete and some of the walls' arches were made of red brick: four policemen were standing in the tracks and checking a massive lock door one or two meters from the subway's front.

"No good, Superintendent… We really need a Navi. There's a wireless connection between the subway's console and the device which controls the opening of this door." One policeman told him.

"Leave it to them. Please clear the tracks."

"Roger!"

Netto stepped into the cabin of the first front wagon: it had a seat for the driver and the control panel: the middle wagon had seats for about eight persons plus bars to hold into while standing: a label set above each entrance read the following:

"Max capacity: 12 persons."

"This looks like it's intended for officers to use… Else it wouldn't be so small." Rock Man muttered.

"Yeah. O. K. Let's check this control panel. Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

Rock Man entered the Cyber World and found most of it to be unlit and some of the floor segments were cracked, missing or their painting and circuitry had faded: a small console could be seen on the center of it plus an active Warp Point two meters in front of it.

"Guess I gotta use that Warp Point… But this system looks like it hasn't gotten use in years. It feels a bit outdated, even." Rock Man reported aloud.

"Guess they just recently brought it up again… Check that Warp Point and see if you can find a way to unlock the door." Netto replied.

"Roger."

Rock Man tensely walked until he reached the Warp Point without stopping looking around as if to check he wasn't being followed: he stepped into it and reached a new Cyber World which had a control console as well.

"Let's see… Input visitor name to proceed… Hmmm… I'll use mine. Rock Man EXE…" Rock Man muttered.

He typed his name and the console hummed while it engaged: a loud sound began to ring out in the real world as the door slowly tilted 90º to the left.

"Wow. It worked. Come back, Rock Man." Netto whistled in surprise at the sight.

"Roger."

Rock Man returned into the subway's Cyber World which had become illuminated: the console issued two sharp sounds as the subway hummed and the doors locked: it suddenly shot forward into the tunnel.

"Whoa~!" Netto yelped.

The lock door quickly turned 90º to the right and locked up again, to the surprise of Manabe and the officers.

"What's going on?" She wondered.

The train travelled at a mad speed across the tunnel while Netto managed to sit down on the driver's seat: he looked at the speed display and seemed surprised.

"Whoa! 50 km/h! This thing sure is fast!" Netto exclaimed.

"Commissioner Kifune was right: this was set for us. The lock door closed behind us to stop the policemen from following us and no signal can come out from here into the surface: we're out of contact." Rock Man muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"That Lezareno sure is fond of "cool" scenarios…" Netto muttered.

The console suddenly beeped and the emergency brakes kicked in: the train's wheels scratched against the tracks thus producing a shower of sparks: the train suddenly shook and came to a halt.

"W-whoa! What happened? I didn't touch anything!"

"I didn't either."

Netto looked out through the windshield and gasped: half of the train's front wagon had come out of the tracks and was suspended into the air over a deep and unlit hexagonal concrete shaft: Netto quickly climbed out through the rear wagon and slowly headed towards the edge to look down at the abyss.

"W-what in the…?" He uttered.

"This looks like a heavy-duty elevator's shaft… Guess they forgot to call it up for the train to park there and then go down, hence why the emergency brakes kicked in…" Rock Man suggested.

"And how the heck do I call it up? There's no connection from the console to anywhere, is there?" Netto asked.

The ground shook and four "DCs" suddenly emerged from the walls at several heights: the whole sector turned into a "DA": Netto lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"Guess here's our reply…" Netto muttered.

"Using the "Cross Fusion" long jump ratio and using those empty spaces for the pipes to rest would allow us to climb down… What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Rock Man rallied.

"O. K., Saito – niisan! Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

The "Cross Fusion" procedure took place and "CF" Netto appeared on the spot: he jumped across the shaft and landed in a ledge part of a square cut into the wall: several pipes travelled up and down across them.

"Let's continue!" "CF" Netto rallied.

"Dunno why but it feels like we're climbing down into Hell…" Saito muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Don't say that…" "CF" Netto rolled his eyes.

He finally dropped down into a hexagonal metallic platform at the very bottom of the shaft: rails were built on the middle of it so it surely was the elevator platform: they continued ahead into another room the doors of which were closed: "CF" Netto looked upwards but was unable to spot the subway.

"Wow. We must've climbed down about 30 meters, even! How deep do you think this is?" "CF" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Hmmm… The terminus was just 20 meters below ground level, so… We gotta be about 50 meters below." Saito replied.

BANG! PING!

A shot rang out followed by the metallic echo of a bullet ricocheting off the platform: "CF" Netto gasped and drew the Rock Buster out of instinct to aim towards the now open right door.

"Hikari – dono. Welcome to my humble abode." A cold voice with a hint of a foreign accent greeted.

A man steeped out while holding a gun on his left hand.

He looked as being on his late forties: his hair was grey and parts of it fell down in the front of the face and he seemed to be missing his left eye.

He was dressed in a grey army uniform, although the area around the sleeves and neck was colored in a reddish patch: he had a distinction on the right side of the uniform just underneath the right shoulder.

He was wielding a gun on his right hand.

"Who are you?" "CF" Netto asked the man.

"Please have this." The man replied.

He held out a visitor card between his left hand's index and middle finger which he threw at "CF" Netto: he caught it with his left hand and had a look at it.

"Colonel Talos. Security Department. Transferred from Sharo Nation #2 Branch on 11/10/03… Security Department? Then Chief Lezareno is your boss?" "CF" Netto read before gasping.

"Correct." Colonel Talos confirmed.

"Is this a "test", too?" "CF" Netto guessed.

"Correct."

"Mr. Sponsor ordered it?"

"Not exactly… Mr. Sponsor _suggested_ to Mr. Admin, our organization's max authority. He then passed down the suggestion into Chief Lezareno: I volunteered for the idea and thus here I am." Colonel Talos corrected.

"…"Suggested"…? Then Mr. Sponsor ain't a "member" per se?"

"Correct. He has his own organization and duties to attend to, so… He respects the leadership and experience of Mr. Admin: it's not his desire to try to override the already existing command structure, that's why he just _suggests_. We are free to point out flaws or reasons it could not work, but given how he does a good background research job, then we rarely complain at all."

"So… Where is the guy at?" "CF" Netto asked.

"At this office, I'd rather believe."

"And where's that office?"

"On the command bridge, I'd say."

"Command bridge…? Does he know a yacht?" "CF" Netto asked.

"Maybe so."

"I take that as a "yeah"… When is he going to show his hide around? Once we clear these "tests", maybe?"

"Correct."

"How many more are left?"

"One."

"Phew."

"But mine is especially intense. _Comrade_ Ocelot gave you a taste about how they would force you to rebuild all of your concepts of battling especially now that you can fight back in the real world, Hikari – dono. It would be wise of you to shine after accumulating so much rust."

"Rust…? Oh. Yeah. I've been inactive for over three weeks. Say! What happened to Gospel's Boss? Did Mr. Sponsor capture him?" "CF" Netto suddenly asked.

"Correct."

"Is the guy alive?"

"Correct."

"And why does he want to keep him hostage? To humiliate him?"

"Not exactly. You will know the reasons soon enough."

"After the next "test", you mean?"

"Indeed."

"What's your "test" about?"

"Heh."

As a response, Colonel Talos snapped his left hand's fingers: two persons came out of the entrance and headed towards "CF" Netto to then begin to walk in circles around him.

"What?" He gasped.

The two newcomers had a tall shape complemented with a strong build: they were dressed in a one-piece white wool suit.

They sported some kind of shades which hid their eyes: the only difference between them laid on the fact that one of the shades was orange, while the other was blue.

Their skin looked sun-burnt and they were completely bald: each one was almost two meters tall.

"Let me introduce you to my personal Net Navi bodyguards: Ivan and Navi…" Colonel Talos announced as he lowered the gun and attached it to his belt's right side.

"Net Navi bodyguards…! They look so human…!" "CF" Netto gasped.

"I would of you like to try to defeat them, Hikari – dono. That is the "simple" nature of my "test": the platform will bring you back up once you do it: the control panel on the SE corner will unlock and you can manually activate it." Colonel Talos instructed.

"Sounds fair enough…"

"If you shall excuse me… My duties are calling for me. Do have a good morning, Hikari – dono. Ah. One last thing… We are the CCAYC."

"CCAYC?" "CF" Netto asked.

"Central Committee Against Youth Crime."

"O-oi! I haven't done any "youth crime": I'm a Net Savior!" "CF" Netto protested.

"Ah. That is the grace: our very name is a cover. We only concern ourselves with organized crime. You will be told more by the time the next "test" happens. Farewell."

Colonel Talos headed inside of the other room and snapped his fingers.

"Hrum!"

The two Navis suddenly dashed towards him from both the north and the south: "CF" Netto crouched and jumped into the air but was soon followed by both Navis: "CF" Netto made a grimace.

"Mega Guts Punch!"

He spun around his axis while using the Mega Guts Punch to hit the enemies on their torsos: he then landed in one of the squares built into the walls while both enemies fell into the ground: they immediately recovered and jumped up into the air.

"Charge Shot! Go!"

"CF" Netto shot two Charge Shots at both of them and they fell into the ground again: he jumped into the next square and across the air: both enemies were already waiting for him and kicked him on the upper torso thus violently making him fall into the ground.

"Grah… These bodyguards are no joke…! Let's check the other room: maybe it'll be better to fight there…!" "CF" Netto groaned.

"Y-yeah… Let's…" Saito muttered.

"CF" Netto ran into the next room: the rails ended there and a concrete platform was built in front and to the sides of them: there was a ledge two meters higher and the left wall had an armored door built into it with a console at its right.

"Let's go inside: we may be able to distract them!"

He looked at the console and found what looked like two small black glass squares, a microphone and a two-lens camera: a small LCD was set on the middle of it plus three buttons colored blue, green and red.

"Please input, in order, the following data: left index finger fingerprint, right index finger fingerprint, voice, left eye retina image, right eye retina image." An auto-voice requested.

"Crap. Biometrics." Saito muttered.

"Huh! Here they come!" "CF" Netto gasped.

In effect: Ivan and Navi rushed towards him and swung their fists: "CF" Netto was propelled against the far wall and crashed with it: he groaned and managed to jump into the upper ledge: he spotted something set on the SW corner and checked it out.

"What's this…?"

"It looks like a stationary grenade launcher… Maybe if we use this we could try to attack them?" Saito suggested.

"Worth a… try…" "CF" Netto muttered.

"Don't overdo it, Netto – kun! You physical strength is dangerously low: if you push it then the "Cross Fusion" will be undone!" Saito warned.

"R-roger… Take this!"

"CF" Netto picked the controls and shot two grenades: both hit the Navis on their heads as they tried to climb up and inflicted major damage: "CF" Netto didn't give them a break and shot again at them: they fell into the ground and suddenly logged out.

"Huff…"

"CF" Netto jumped back into the ground level and stood there while panting heavily: he was having trouble keeping his balance.

"We… did it…" He muttered.

He suddenly collapsed face-down on the ground and his Cross Fusion was undone: the PET II reformed and hit the floor in front of his head: the cover opened and the Synchro Chip was ejected from the PET II's main Slot-In slot.

"Netto – kun! Wake up! Netto – kun!" Saito called out.

The armored door suddenly beeped and it tilted 90º to the left: a man came out of it and rushed next to the collapsed Netto.

He looked on his forties and seemed to be over a meter and eighty tall.

A thick black beard covered his face along with some black hair: his eyes' irises were blue.

He wore a green army uniform with some rank distinctions on the right side of it plus a cap with the Ameroupe Air Force emblem.

"Crap. They overdid it…!" The man muttered.

"Who are you?" Saito questioned.

"Colonel Botos. Vice-Chief of the Security Department…"

"You were expecting this?" Saito asked.

"Eh… Well… Ivan and Navi always tended to get very jumpy in battle and hit all enemies with all their strength: I guessed that even though the grenade launcher could help you defeat them, the whole fight could be extremely intense and take a toll on the body! I waited in the corridor to the JSDF command center and looked out through the CCTV cameras."

"Ah. So you were planning on helping Netto – kun?" Saito asked.

"Yeah… I'll bring you two to the subway and you can pilot it back to the entrance: the Net Police is still waiting there, after all, and they can bring you to a hospital for a check-up. But I'd say that a good day's rest will do him fine and he'll be totally energetic by tomorrow…"

Suddenly, though, an unidentified silhouette jumped out into the air from behind Colonel Botos: they hit his skull with a large and thick steel rod: Colonel Botos groaned and collapsed into the ground along with Netto.

"Heh, heh, heh. No hard feelings, Colonel Botos! But it's my turn to "shine" as well… _Kuwabara, kuwabara_."

"Who…?" Saito began.

The man suddenly picked the PET II and switched it off before pocketing it into Netto's PET pouch: he brusquely lifted him by grabbing his vest.

"Heh, heh, heh. This'll be fun. _Kuwabara_, _kuwabara_."

12:03 PM (Japan Time)…

SPLASH!

"Cold!"

Netto suddenly awoke: he blinked several times but all was black around him: he then tried to move but noticed how his arms had been lifted to be above his head and his wrists were tied with rope: this rope was hanging from the ceiling.

"What?"

His legs were bound together above and below his knees and around his ankles: he was standing atop what felt a chair as his sneakers had been taken out: he suddenly noticed how his shirt and vest were missing and his chest was soaked with cold water.

"W-what? Where am I?" Netto demanded aloud.

"Heh, heh, heh. Welcome to my underground room." A man's voice rang out close by.

"Who…?"

"Thunderbolt. Colonel Thunderbolt. Security Department. Transferred from Sharo Nation Branch #4 on 14/09/05. But… I'm acting outside of orders given how I was off-duty today. Heh, heh, heh."

"What do you want outta me?" Netto demanded.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll show you my arts. I was a GRU commanding officer in the late 80s and Ocelot used to be my partner. Both shared one skill which we valued…" Colonel Thunderbolt chuckled.

"What skill…? Marksmanship…?" Netto tried to guess.

"Interrogation."

"What!"

"Ah… The fear is starting to crawl inside… Good, good! I'm going to test how though you are… This'll be fun…!

_This isn't fun!_

"And no-one will get in the way: nobody knows I own this house through a proxy! Heh, heh, heh… Get ready, Net Savior!" Colonel Thunderbolt announced.

He suddenly punched Netto's upper torso with both fists: Netto groaned in pain but the man quickly hit his stomach area and lower torso next.

"S-stop…! I'll t-tell you a-anything…!" Netto pleaded.

"I don't need you to tell me anything… I know _everything_! Plead all you want, Net Savior! This won't be over until I've broken through all of your defenses!" Thunderbolt announced.

"N-no…! Please…!" Netto kept on pleading.

"Useless! How's this one like?"

SPLASH! ZA~P!

"Groa~h!"

Netto yelled as electricity attacked his defenseless body and he moved violently while trying to jump off the chair: he suddenly noticed that his feet were strapped to it with adhesive tape as well.

"Yeah! That voice of despair and agony… That's what I missed from that era! Heh, heh, heh. Struggle more! You'll eventually surrender and realize your powerlessness!" Thunderbolt laughed.

CLINC!

Something metallic fell into the ground and Thunderbolt mumbled something as he checked it out: Netto tried to recover his breath.

"Transmitter device…! Clever bothersome guys…! Net Police…! They clearly though of everything…" Thunderbolt mumbled.

_What…? A transmitter device was attached to my shorts…?_

"… Huh? Wait! T-this crest is…! Wait…! I had to drive for about 30 minutes from the facility to here… I've been here for about 20 minutes already!"

_So it's been over an hour…?_

"So…! If they checked the last route made by the device before the signal was lost, then…!" Thunderbolt suddenly sounded panicked.

_Huh…? That device doesn't belong to the Net Police…?_

SLAM!

A door close by was slammed open and it was followed by heavy footsteps climbing down a set of stairs: a loud breathing sound similar to the one made by gas masks could be heard growing in volume: the mere air seemed to chill down and Thunderbolt was uttering something in a rush out of terror.

"I k-knew it…! _T-that person_…! It came…!" Thunderbolt uttered.

_That person…? Mr. Sponsor…? Wait… That SFX… Doesn't that sound like _Darth Vader's _own breathing…?_

SLAM!

An even closer door was slammed open and someone stepped in: the breathing sound could be clearly heard followed by a low-tuned growl of clear anger.

"M-Mr. Sponsor…!" Thunderbolt gasped.

_I knew it…! _

"… Colonel Thunderbolt. What does this mean?" An icy voice questioned.

"Eh… Ah… I…!" Thunderbolt uttered.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Hum… Eh… That's…!"

"Whom did you attack in a villain-like manner?"

"Eh… Colonel Botos, but…"

"Have you forgotten Colonel Botos is your immediate superior as the Vice-Chief?"

"No, but…!"

"Do you think we are all fools, maybe?"

"N-no, no!"

"Did you really think there wouldn't be severe consequences to your acts, Colonel?"

"Eh… That's… Hum…"

"Have you forgotten what "morale" means, maybe?"

"N-not really, but…!"

"Do you want to shun the whole "Committee" and make their reputation be dynamited?"

"Of c-course not…!"

"You don't sound or look believable. At all." The man sentenced.

"W-what should I do…?" Thunderbolt gulped.

"Cut those ropes and leave him tended on the floor: then go upstairs and wait for me there. We're going to the HQ: Mr. Admin in person will decide what has to be done." The man hissed.

Netto suddenly felt how Thunderbolt cut the ropes and tape before picking him and depositing him with care on a face-up position with his arms parallel to his body.

"Don't remove the bag. There's no time to sit idle: go upstairs NOW before I switch moods." The man commanded.

"R-roger…!"

"I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me for this, young one. We will meet again soon enough. The Net Police are coming here. Farewell."

The man walked away but Netto couldn't to call out to him: his consciousness was fading.

_Mr. Sponsor…! He saved me again… But just who… is he…?_


	5. Chapter 5: The gift

**Chapter 5: The gift**

12:14 PM (Japan Time), Monday August the 27th…

"… Hum!"

The room's walls were bare concrete and had no windows: fluorescent lights illuminated it.

A round oak table was set on the center of it: four persons were sitting around it: three of them formed a triangle which faced the fourth person.

One of the men appealed to be on his early sixties

He wore a black tuxedo combined with pants and shoes.

A dense black beard covered his face and his eyes' irises were brown too yet they displayed knowledge and calmness.

"So! Colonel Botos. You are witness."

The man at his left was Colonel Botos: his head was bandaged and he had taken his cap out: he looked angered.

"Yes, sir… And there is Mr. Sponsor, sir…"

The man at the right was Mr. Sponsor.

He wore that same armor-like suit but had included a partial helmet.

This partial helmet encompassed the sides, top and rear of the head plus a face-plate which had a main "V" piece with a triangular filter-like device on the middle of it plus two large Plexiglas-made diamond-shaped protectors for the eyes.

"So! Colonel Thunderbolt. You better be ready."

Colonel Thunderbolt was the one sitting in the fourth chair and facing the other three men.

He was a man on his late forties.

He had blond hair although his face was covered in hardened veins: his eyes' irises were blue in color

He was dressed in an olive green military uniform and He had long brown leather gloves on, too, plus boots.

"Colonel Thunderbolt. I have been told by Mr. _Vadous_ or, rather, Mr. Sponsor, of your actions as well by Colonel Botos. You went and attacked your immediate superior out of lust and ambition! And then you tortured a Net Savior minor of age just for the "fun" of it. Your behavior makes the whole "Committee" look like a group of vicious "evil" people who think they can do as they like. Any objections?" The lead man began speaking.

"N-no, sir..." Thunderbolt gulped.

"In the 14 years I've been leading the "Committee", I, the current Mr. Admin, had never heard of such undisciplined behavior from a Security Department officer. Not even in our "cursed" times there was such behavior... So? Do you feel proud of your actions, maybe?"

"N-no, sir..."

"While normally such an act would comport immediate Expulsion, given your rather "clean" record, I decided on something else which will ensure that such a shameful thing does not take place again. You will be transferred back to the Sharo Nation Branch #2 for a period of _one year_ starting _today_. Your salary will be cut by 33% and your access privileges into the intranet will be revoked. You will be placed under the command of the Branch #2 Chief and all of your movements be monitored. Were any sign of rebellion or attempt to hurt innocent civilians be detected, then you would be turned to the local authorities. Am I clear enough? Or should I repeat what I just said until you understand it, Colonel?" Mr. Admin detailed.

"Y-yes, sir...!" Thunderbolt gasped.

"You leave in the first flight from Haneda Airport tomorrow: given how you have Sharo Nation citizenship, there's no need for a visa. You will not be allowed to exit the HQ or go anywhere until tomorrow. You will be escorted to Haneda and it will be checked that you board your corresponding plane. This is an irrevocable command. Do you understand, Colonel?" Mr. Admin continued.

"Y-yes, sir...!"

"Remove yourself from this room and return to your quarters: you are to be out of contact with anyone until you are in Sharo Nation." Mr. Admin ordered.

"R-roger, sir...!"

Thunderbolt lifted up and nervously walked out of the room while softly closing the door behind him: Mr. Admin sighed along with the other two presents.

"Colonel Botos. Does it still hurt?" Mr. Admin asked.

"Ah... Not really, sir... It will be healed in a few days, sir."

"Mr. Vadous. Are you making progress on the opened fronts?"

"I am, sir. However... Should we go and have that old man arrested right now or should we still wait for him to make a move?"

"Hum. Given his hatred towards the Net Saviors... He will most likely try to make a bold move to remove them from the picture. I believe our security has stopped him by making him think the Net Police are expecting him to make a move and expose himself. So... I'd say we give it two weeks' time: we could try to force him to move... Colonel Talos' agents have identified a man who seems to be trailing them." Mr. Admin told him.

"Is that so?" Vadous asked.

Mr. Admin took out a Polaroid and handed it to Vadous.

"Saiko Rei, huh... I guess we'll have to do something about it."

"I believe Chief Lezareno appointed himself to take care of it."

"Ah. Then that is fine. If you shall excuse me... I would like to return to my HQ and try to finish up work on my projects. And do please tell Chief Lezareno to contact me: I have a request to ask of his person."

"Good. But please do not overwork yourself, either. Mr. Vadous."

"Thank you very much for the advice, sir. Good afternoon, gentlemen."

12:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Netto! Wake up! Netto!"

Netto slowly opened his eyes and waited until everything became clear enough: he was resting in a hospital room's bed and Yuuichirou was sitting at his right on a chair.

"Papa…? What happened…?" Netto slowly asked.

"The Net Police contacted me: they found you in the underground room of a house and you had signs of having been tortured by someone! I rushed here!" Yuuichirou exclaimed.

"Ah…! I remember…!" Netto gasped.

"Calm down, Netto – kun. Please try to sum it up." Saito requested.

"Yeah… Niisan. What happened after I lost consciousness on that underground place?" Netto asked.

"A man named Colonel Botos, the Vice-Chief of the Security Department, came in and admitted he predicted this could happen. He was about to carry you to the train when someone assaulted him from behind and then switched off the PET II: that's the last thing I know." Saito explained.

"Then… That man was named Colonel Thunderbolt and he came from Sharo Nation… He used to be in the GRU, too, and knew Ocelot… He admitted being "off-duty" and doing it because he wanted to… He just wanted to break me… But Mr. Sponsor came in and forced him to go to their HQ… Apparently, he was going to get severe scolding. That Mr. Sponsor requested of me to forgive him for not taking this… scenario… into mind… I then lost consciousness… But I've realized something about the guy even if I couldn't see anything…" Netto related.

"What?" Both asked.

"He's gotta be a Darth Vader fan."

"Why?" Yuuichirou frowned.

"Wait. Vader had body armor, so…" Saito frowned.

"That wasn't the only reason: he copied his SFX, too. So I guess he wears body armor similar to Vader's and that's why Gospel's Boss' bullets didn't affect him. The reason he surely told Thunderbolt not to remove the bag is because he didn't want to scare me or leave a bad impression of his person into me…" Netto deduced.

"I see… And he seems to want to help the Net Police… But I'm still surprised at the info that Colonel Talos man leaked… He has an organization of his own and his office is in a "command bridge" which "may" be in a yacht. These officers are part of a group named the "Committee", which, despite its name, only focuses on organized crime groups… This is turning deeper." Yuuichirou muttered.

"Yeah… I'm really sorry, Papa… I'm always getting into a mess no matter what I do…" Netto apologized.

"It isn't a "mess": it's your mission, Netto. And not even that Mr. Sponsor could foresee this." Yuuichirou told him.

"We know that, Papa, but…" Saito trailed off.

"It's good to assume responsibilities, but blaming yourselves the whole time won't help you two. Try to be more positive."

"I guess we won't wait long for the next "test": it'd seem we'll know some of the reasons behind this whole affair." Netto muttered.

"I hope Ijuuin – kun is around next time: it'll feel safer with him around here…" Yuuichirou muttered.

"If he _bothers_ to cooperate, though. You've seen how prideful and self-centered he can be." Saito warned.

"I know. He really should learn that closing on himself won't do him any good in life." Yuuichirou sighed.

None of them replied and Yuuichirou began to pace around the room.

_Niisan… No matter what the next test is like… We'll tackle it._

_Yeah. Nothing will hold me back…_

19:04 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff. Let's finish the diagnostics already!"

Vadous was standing in front of a control panel connected to a brown metallic cylindrical capsule which was lying in a horizontal position on the ground: many wires and pipes were attached to the north end of it and it also had the control panel placed in front of the south end: the whole set was placed in a room which had the looks of a basement room given its bare concrete walls and the loose bulb illuminating it.

"Alright…"

Vadous was holding a metallic gray and purple PET II with the Alphabet letter 'V' as its emblem: an USB wire emerged from its underside and was connected to the control panel: he seemed to be reading the data being displayed on it.

_I know it's already 7 in the evening and I should be trying to shake off the nerves about what happened this morning, but… This is already complete and it WILL work. There was no other way around, though, when it came to the key point… But I hope Hikari – hakase will understand. It's the best solution: else, it would mean exile from one of the worlds… _That person _would find it unbearable to sacrifice one world for the other… No… This is definitely a better solution. _

He sighed and deposited the PET II on top of the control panel while pressing his armored fingers against two arrow-like objects on his helmet's sides: they were pushed inside some centimeters and a CLACK sound rang out: he then loosened the faceplate and revealed his face: the faceplate was left to rest atop a wooden chair.

_Feels hot with the faceplate on. Anyway… Front A is almost complete and Front B can be completed soon… Make it three days from now. Front C, the most critical front, is where I'm still divided about if going for the "pressure" strategy, or, else, just tip the Net Police off… My _Three Musketeers_ have had to clash with the old man's Navis several times to stop him from finding _THE _man… I'll think about it tonight. Damn it! Colonel Thunderbolt: stop acting like you were Volgin! Fuck them._

08:16 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday August the 28th…

"… Another glitch caused because the default values of the "conf" file were not set correctly… We really tend to oversight these things nowadays…"

Yuuichirou was working on his office and typing into the computer set atop his desk as he glanced at some printed documents on his lap: he looked tired.

"Man. I should've gone home yesterday, I really should've. But I felt like this was more important… again. I always come up with the same excuse yet Haruka never complains… It's Netto and Saito the ones who obviously miss me the more…" He muttered with a hint of tiredness.

"Hikari – hakase?" Meijin called out.

"Come in, Meijin."

Meijin headed over to him from the floor entrance and stood next to him while glancing for a moment at the screen.

"Oh. The "conf" file for the newest Wamp Server app… It really is giving everyone headaches." He muttered.

"True. So… Has something happened?"

"There's a businessman who would wish to speak with you, hakase, but claims it's not urgent. Were you to be busy, he'd come back at another day…" Meijin explained.

"Well… I wouldn't call this really "busy", so… Did he give a name or a visitor card?" Yuuichirou asked.

"Yes, sir. Here you have." Meijin confirmed.

"Zataki Tosho… PET Tech Inc. Salesman… 22… Must have just joined it, then… Allow him inside. A break will do me fine, anyway, and this problem is almost solved... I can settle it in another hour's time." Yuuichirou read aloud before shrugging.

"Roger. I'll be right back."

Meijin headed out and returned five minutes later with the visitor: he was on a man his twenties: his hair was colored jet black and his eyes were clear blue.

He wore a black suit plus a black necktie and carried an attaché case.

"Here it is." Meijin announced.

"Thank you very much for allowing me to meet you, Hikari – hakase. I do hope I am not interrupting your work, sir." The man bowed.

"Do not mind it: you can go back, Meijin."

"Good. I'll be working on the new upgrades for the PET II software on the 3rd Lab." Meijin replied.

Both were left alone and Yuuichirou brought a chair over from an adjacent office: Zataki sat down on it and placed the attaché case on his lap while distractedly tapping his fingers around its upper edge: he seemed rather nervous.

"I guess you must be a new salesman for the company, Zataki – san, given your age in the card." Yuuichirou commented.

"True, sir. Eh…" He trailed off.

"There's no one else here yet: most of my co-workers are enjoying their summer holidays." Yuuichirou guessed what he wanted to say.

"Ah. I s-see… Excuse me for my nervousness…" He apologized.

"So… Is there a software problem with the PET IIs? If it's about the new 'bug fix' patch, then we're working on it but we don't expect it to be ready in less than 6 days…" Yuuichirou told him.

"… Hikari – hakase… Eh… Truth is… I am not an employee of PET Tech Inc. to begin with, sir… I used that so as to not draw attention…" The man suddenly let out.

"… Hmmm… Then… You have something to do with the mysterious "Committee"? You wanted to personally apologize for what happened yesterday?" Yuuichirou quickly caught up.

"That's one of the reasons, sir, but… There's another reason I came here, sir… I have information which I felt I should tell you, sir…"

"So… Am I to guess "Zataki Tosho" is an alias, too?"

"Eh… Yes, sir… My name is Vadous. I am also known as Mr. Sponsor, so you may have heard of me, sir…" He confessed.

"You look young… And I'm sure the age was true on that card: I certainly would place you below the mid-twenties." Yuuichirou calmly lifted his eyebrows.

"True, sir… Eh… To begin with, sir… I really want to apologize for yesterday's incident, sir… I am to blame because I committed such a huge oversight..." He suddenly stood up and politely bowed.

"My. You remind me of my own sons: they tend to blame themselves when incidents happen. But, if I understood it correctly… You don't really have any authority regarding what happens in the "Committee", so I think you aren't to blame for it."

"Ah… True, sir, but… I feel like I should take responsibility, sir."

"So… Gospel's Boss is being held hostage by you somewhere?"

"Yes, sir… After all, all he did was not of his own will: he was just a puppet of a more sinister person. All his actions were controlled and his emotions along with his thoughts were manipulated, sir."

"What? Then… Who is that "sinister person"?"

"Dr. Wily." He let out.

"Wily! He's alive?" Yuuichirou gasped.

"Correct, sir. He survived the rocket's explosion even though he was next to it: he ran off and managed to make it out through an exit on the rear of the mountain: the whole place collapsed afterwards. He's been bidding his time by using Gospel as a cover: his goal was to recreate Forte. He wishes to control Forte." Vadous explained.

"Why?"

"Proto, sir."

"Proto, you say! He wants to resurrect that monster?" Yuuichirou gasped in fear.

"Correct, sir. And the only thing which can overcome Hikari Tadashi – hakase's "Guardian Program" is Forte's power. However… A copy wouldn't have been to: it lacked all of the combined strength the real Forte has built up over the years." Vadous explained.

"I see… So you intend to heal that person out of Wily's brainwashing and have him regret his actions?" Yuuichirou guessed.

"Yes, sir. I have managed to purge all traces of it and he will soon be able to come out. I will organize it to happen during the last "test": Chief Lezareno will take part on it." Vadous admitted.

"I hope Thunderbolt got some punishment for his actions…"

"He did, sir. His salary has been cut, his access privileges to the mainframe cancelled, and he will have to spend a year working in Vladivostok under heavy 24/7 surveillance: was he to do something similar, he would be expelled and handed over to the authorities."

"Good. I am satisfied with that. So… What's Wily doing right now? Is he trying to catch the real Forte?" Yuuichirou asked.

"No. Catching him is impossible. He's trying to contact him and strike a deal: he will give him the key to achieve ultimate power and help him destroy the Network Society at the same time. Obviously, he plans on backstabbing him once he gets rid of the "Guardian Program" and Proto can be resurrected. Wily has located all four Tetra Codes but I've managed to relocate them to stop him from seizing them and trying to steal Proto to then decode it and start controlling systems." Vadous detailed.

"I see. Typical of Wily, I'd rather say." Yuuichirou muttered.

"I am waiting to try to force him to make a bold move and expose his hand: then the police would have evidence of his involvement to seize and arrest him."

"Hum. If he reveals his hand, then he will bring upon his own defeat out of impatience and arrogance… Fitting, I'd daresay."

"Is that so?" Vadous sounded surprised.

"So… Is there something else in that attaché case which you desire to show to me, then?"

"Yes, sir. I've been working on this for some time, sir. It's the culmination of all my knowledge and technology. I've had my doubts because there are one or two "moral" spots which could make this project look like an aberration, but… There was no other way around."

"My. You're being rather vague."

"Eh… Truth is… Hakase. Haven't you been trying to think of a way to make your son Saito – kun become "human" again but, at the same time, not trying to exile him from the Cyber World?" Vadous asked.

"… True. How did you know that? Then again… One or two employees here were aware of it." Yuuichirou asked.

"I found the information which I got from a third party… But… This is what I have thought of. Please tell me your opinion, sir."

Vadous unlocked the case and handed Yuuichirou some DIN A3 sheets: he picked them up and gasped at the first sight.

"T-this is…!" He gasped.

The first paper showed was Rock Man lying inside of a capsule-like object: the helmet was not on and he could see the symmetric brown hair he had: his eyes were obviously closed.

"That looks like the real world…! Huh? T-this is…!" Yuuichirou muttered before gasping once he had a look at the second sheet.

The second sheet was a set of blueprints which showed that the body was organic while the brain was replaced by an electronic equivalent: some mechanicals implants had been set on the CNS and there were notes about a network of nanomachines flowing across the veins.

"T-this is…! I see…! If the brain is electronic, then…! His Navi frame can get inside, be stored on it, and his consciousness program "uploaded" into the "brain" to allow him to behave like a normal human consciousness…! And, according to the handwritten notes, he could "come out" and the nanomachines along with the brain would keep all functions active just like he was sleeping…! The nanomachines can break down foreign substances which enter his body and keep all viruses and parasites from infecting him…! T-this is… The ultimate solution!" Yuuichirou gasped.

"So it'd seem…" Vadous didn't look very content.

"What's the problem?"

"Eh… I have said it: there are two "moral" spots which have troubled me all along the development."

"Ah. Replacing the organic brain for an electronic… True. It can seem somewhat radical. But what's the second…? Wait. Where did this body come out from? Saito's "real body" died and I had him incinerated back then…" Yuuichirou frowned.

"Genetic engineering, sir… I recreated his body, sir…" Vadous confessed with a sigh.

"… I see. "Cloning", you mean to say?"

"More or less, sir… But I didn't come up with that technology: someone else did and I used it. Truth is… I myself am a "clone" of sorts."

"W-what? Wait! Your face…! Now that I look at it… It reminds me of Netto's face!" Yuuichirou gasped.

"True, sir… 90% of my DNA was made by combining theirs: the remaining 10% was totally altered to give me a margin of "uniqueness", though… Thus why I look similar to him."

"B-but… Who would do such a thing?"

"A criminal mastermind… My former Boss… The "Ice Queen"… But I broke apart with such a repulsive criminal three years ago. I have been observing things ever since then…"

"… Did that criminal want to make a "Dark" persona who would be my sons' antithesis, maybe?" Yuuichirou guessed.

"Correct, sir. But I couldn't bring myself to make harm to them: I wouldn't be trapped in the world of lies that criminal had shaped… I brought all of its "Secret Empire" down and the remains now are disorganized and fight each other to destruction for supremacy… It's a like a new _Sengoku_ fought behind closed doors." Vadous sighed.

"And, as a proof that you wanted to help them… You've been trying to keep them safe and sharpen their skills with these two "tests" which you've organized?" Yuuichirou asked.

"Yes, sir. As you gentlemen had deduced… I was the one who rescued Netto - kun at Gospel HQ… The sudden drop in EM radiation allowed me to open a stable "gateway" to get inside of the room and captured Gospel's Boss. Chief Lezareno then rushed in and we applied first aid to Netto - kun: he then took care of bringing him to the hospital while I brought Gospel's Boss with me at my… eh… HQ."

"And your HQ is a yacht, then?"

"Eh… Well… More or less, sir… I will… explain it in detail… on another occasion, sir…" Vadous looked rather nervous.

"I'll drop it, then… So… You wanted my approval to grant this "solution" to Saito, then?"

"Yes, sir… The "final test" is programmed for tomorrow: Ijuuin – kun will be around by then, so… I believe that you will feel safer if both of them go together." Vadous politely bowed.

"I approve, then. You have told me a lot and I could tell you wished to be honest with me… Mr. Vadous."

"Ah… Thank you very much, sir." He thanked.

"I will keep this secret."

"Thank you, sir. Here is my secondary address, sir… I would like of you to come there on Thursday morning, sir…"

Vadous handed him a visitor's card and Yuuichirou pocketed it on his right pocket.

"You may keep those DIN A3 sheets, sir… I have the originals, sir. I hope to be able to force Wily to show his hand soon enough. I am preparing bait for him to bite and then be reeled out of the murky water, sir."

"Good. I'll feel safer when Wily is caught. A man like him should be locked up." Yuuichirou nodded in agreement.

"I will contact you soon, sir." Vadous politely bowed.

"I believe in you, Mr. Vadous."

"Ah… I am grateful, sir." He sounded surprised.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir."

Vadous headed out of the office while Yuuichirou glanced at his DIN A3 sheets again: a smile formed on his face and he looked content.

_Saito… You will be able to live with us again. And, like this, there'll be no need to exile from the Cyber World. I trust Mr. Vadous' word: he is doing his best to help you two as recognition of your feats. Thursday. On that day… Everything will change. For good, I hope._

He crouched and unlocked a safe next to the left side of the cubicle: he rolled the DIN A3 sheets and placed them in the upper shelf before shutting the door and making sure it was properly locked.

"Back to work." He muttered.

He sat down on his chair and began to type into the computer again but he stopped from time to time.

"The ultimate solution… How many years have I struggled to find it myself? I do not mind those two "moral" spots: the ends justify the means in this case. Netto… Saito… Our family will return to normal again…."

He sighed in relief and looked satisfied…


	6. Chapter 6: The last test

**Chapter 6: The last test**

09:17 AM, Wednesday August the 29th…

"… I'd never said there were so many JSDF facilities in the Tokyo Prefecture… This one is huge, too."

"Yeah. I read the report of what happened on Monday. And this reeks of this "last test" that Talos man talked about."

Netto and Enzan were walking down a stone tunnel somewhere: it was lighted by dimmed fluorescent lights set on the walls and seemed to extend for several hundreds of meters: a small rusted metallic door could be seen ahead of them.

"What if it's locked?" Rock Man wondered.

"We'll have to bring a lock-cracker." Blues replied.

Enzan tried it and the door opened inwards with a loud squeak sound as if to indicate how rusted it was.

"Man. It's really old!"

Both stepped inside of a relatively square-shaped stone room which had two stone stairs climbing towards a balcony set about five meters over the ground level: there were two locked elevator doors located at the end of the stairs as well.

The room's lighting came from holographic flames set on the walls thus leaving some unlit spots: two locked doors could be seen at both left and right of the stairs' start as well.

The room currently seemed to be devoid of life.

"Lovely panorama." Enzan muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah. Almost like saying "I'm a trap. Tackle me."…" Netto muttered.

The ground rumbled and the set of four "DCs" emerged from the ceiling, floor and both walls: the complex became a "Dimensional Area": both took out their PET IIs along with their issued "Synchro Chips".

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

Both performed "Cross Fusion" and some sarcastic clapping suddenly rang out from the upper balcony.

"What?"

A figure walked out from behind one column at the right side of it while being covered by a simple hooded cloak: they suddenly jumped down into the ground level and ran towards "CF" Blues: they gripped his left arm from behind, violently turned him around 270º and then kicked him on the torso to propel him into the air: the figure jumped into the air, too, and delivered a new kick to "CF" Blues' torso while he was still in the air: the hit made him speed towards "CF" Netto and crash with him, ending atop him and bringing both of them to the floor: the assaulter dropped into the ground in a crouched pose and then stood up while seemingly recovering their breath.

"Grah… I'd never seen anyone move so fast in my life…" "CF" Blues groaned with a hint of sarcasm.

"Y-you're heavier than I thought…!" "CF" Netto groaned.

"You haven't changed, gentlemen." A familiar voice boomed out using a polite register from the upper floor balcony.

"T-that voice is…!" "CF" Netto gasped.

"You know it?" "CF" Blues asked.

"We last met… At Gospel HQ. Wasn't it, gentlemen?"

Lezareno came down from the balcony by walking down the stairs: he'd discarded his jacket and sported a jumpsuit with vertical and horizontal thin straight lines across it colored black.

"Lezareno! So ya showed you hide around!" "CF" Netto exclaimed as he got into his feet.

"That's Lezareno?" "CF" Blues wondered.

Both managed to stand up somehow and rubbed their damaged parts while Lezareno calmly walked down the stairs until he stood at the right of the hooded figure.

"Mr. Hikari. I sincerely apologize for the incident in Monday. But there is nothing to fear: the man has been removed from the country and imposed severe punishment." Lezareno announced.

"Well. That's something. Say… That Mr. Sponsor… He wears body armor inspired by Darth Vader's own, right?" "CF" Netto asked.

"Ah. Good deduction, Mr. Holmes." Lezareno smiled.

"Oi. I'm not Holmes." "CF" Netto protested.

"Maybe Mr. Ijuuin is, then?" Lezareno suggested.

"Dunno." "CF" Blues shot back.

"Ah. That mask looks more and more unbelievable with every passing day, Mr. Ijuuin. No matter what might _that person_ command, no one really believes you are such a hostile and icy person: you _are_ a human, after all, so…" Lezareno commented.

"Yeah. I know." "CF" Blues simply replied.

"Wait! Is that hooded guy…?" "CF" Netto gasped.

Lezareno lowered the other person's hood to reveal Gospel's Boss: he stared at them without even blinking.

"He still has that disguise on? I thought you'd removed it. I mean… You can't eat with that thing on, I believe. It doesn't have a mouth to begin with!" "CF" Netto frowned.

"It provides some defense against attacks. Well then… This "last test" will check if you can truly behave like a Net Savior. Will you fight out of grudge, hatred and vengeance? Or will you fight out of duty and to accomplish the mission? This is what will prove if you really have what it takes to be a Net Savior, Mr. Hikari." Lezareno explained.

"Sounds logical…" "CF" Blues muttered.

"Well then… Seven minutes. Seven minutes is all I have to play with you gentlemen." Lezareno announced as he looked at a wristwatch.

"CF" Netto ran towards him but Lezareno calmly took a step to the right: "CF" Netto tripped with an uneven tile and met the floor while Lezareno calmly articulated his fingers.

"Hikari! Rushing it won't work: let's try to force them into attacking and then defend!" "CF" Blues told him.

"Y-yeah… Guess that's wiser."

"CF" Netto ran towards the right door but it got stuck half-way open: he suddenly found Lezareno looming over him.

"Your future hinges upon this fight, sir!" He stated.

_What?_

"This may hurt a bit, sir." He warned with a smile.

He kicked him and sent him flying towards the door: he broke the door off its hinges and made it fall inside of the adjacent room due to his weight and the bad condition of the door itself.

"Aw… Hurts…" He groaned.

"He who warns a traitor is not, Master Yoda would say."

"Let's put some distance…!" "CF" Netto muttered.

He ran off across a corridor and heard Lezareno walking after him in a calm manner.

"You can't hide forever, sir! There's no point in hiding, sir!"

_Guess he's right on that…_ "CF" Netto looked slightly uneasy.

"CF" Netto pushed his back against a wall and waited with the Rock Buster ready: he paid attention to the sounds coming from the corridor.

"You're merely postponing the inevitable, sir. Just accept your fate, sir!"

_I don't like the sound of it._ He gulped again.

He spotted Lezareno's boot and shot a single shot to the ceiling: Lezareno didn't flinch at all.

"Ah! There you are, sir! Found you, sir! That's some poor performance indeed, sir!" Lezareno proclaimed.

"No more running! Have this!" "CF" Netto grumbled.

He tried to deliver an uppercut but Lezareno suddenly managed to the step out of the way to the right: "CF" Netto tried to aim there but Lezareno was already at the left: "CF" Netto tried the north but Lezareno ended up in the south: "CF" Netto changed to kick while spinning around but Lezareno calmly took two steps back to dodge: he then made a gesture by placing both hands' palms upwards.

"You disappoint me, sir. Is that the best you've got, sir?" Lezareno challenged with a grin.

"What the… You gotta be Super Man!" "CF" Netto cursed.

"No, sir. I took a course of _taekwondo_ a few years ago. It sharpened my reflexes, you see." He announced.

"Crap. Let's get outta here!" "CF" Netto muttered.

"Here I am, offering my precious time to you, and you waste it by running around. I tire of wasting my time with you, sir!"

"I'm not falling for that taunt." "CF" Netto muttered.

He ran into a room containing some empty metal crates and hid behind them: his radio suddenly crackled to life.

"Hikari? What's going on?" "CF" Blues asked.

"Lezareno is too much for me to handle! He's a _taekwondo_ expert and he's always reading each of my attacks. Gospel's Boss must be Hell!"

"Yeah… The guy can jump several meters in a row, perform incredible flips and kick or punch me with incredible strength!" "CF" Blues replied.

"How many minutes have we been at this, anyway? Five? Six? I want this to end already." "CF" Netto asked him.

"I believe that's the right amount, yeah… This is turning painful and agonizing, even."

"Oh… Playtime is over, gentlemen. Please come back at the main room, gentlemen… There'll be some talk."

"CF" Netto rushed back at the central room with "CF" Blues and found Lezareno standing at the top of the stairs.

"I expect more of a challenge after all this time, Mr. Hikari. How disappointing." He nodded his head in negation.

His PDA rang and he took it out of his jeans' right pocket to bring it to his right ear.

"It's me." He confirmed.

"Go!" "CF" Blues whispered.

Lezareno began to head towards the elevator doors while both Cross Fusion fighters headed after him from the SE and the SW: Lezareno finished the call and merely gave them the back.

"Aren't you forgetting someone, gentlemen?" He suddenly asked with a hint of amusement.

Gospel's Boss suddenly ran towards them and tackled "CF" Netto into the ground before kicking "CF" Blues and then assuming a defensive pose in front of Lezareno.

"Good work, Mr. Gospel. Everything is over, sir. But I do guess you cannot complain given Mr. Sponsor's VIP treatment. Gentlemen. I take my leave but consider the "testing" to be over by today." Lezareno announced to them.

He took out the PDA again and pressed some keys: Gospel's Boss seemed to snap out of something and look around in a confused manner: Lezareno quickly slipped into the open elevator behind him and it closed up.

"… Where is this at?" Gospel's Boss suddenly asked: his voice sounded younger than last time around.

"Densan City 6th District." "CF" Blues replied.

"Why am I still using this Cyber Suit?" He wondered aloud.

"Cyber Suit…? Then it was a disguise, as we thought!" "CF" Netto exclaimed aloud.

"… I'll take it off."

His form suddenly shone and turned white before disappearing and revealing someone else: a young boy appeared on the spot: he looked around nine or ten years old.

His hair was grey and his eyes' irises were red.

He was wearing a red shirt with a purple and white top plus jeans.

Part of the jumper had been cut off and a red device was attached to his upper torso: he didn't look taller than a meter and forty.

"Y-you were Gospel's Boss?" "CF" Netto gasped.

"Oh. This thing is what made me feel weird, then!" The boy muttered while looking at the device.

He tried to pull it out but seemed to be stuck: he applied more force but it didn't seem to yield.

"Ugh… Can't you guys help me get rid of this at the very least? I'll explain everything!" He requested.

"Fine."

"CF" Blues carefully placed his Long Sword's blade between the rear of the device and the flesh: he pulled upwards and the device jumped off and hit the floor: four small round wounds were left on the boy's torso.

"Huff… I feel better without it."

"What's your name?" "CF" Netto asked.

"Obihiro Shun. 10 years old."

"And how could you create Gospel?" "CF" Netto looked surprised.

"Well… It wasn't really my idea. Some of the funds came from my parents' inheritance, but it was in truth someone else the one who approached me and gave me the resources to build such a thing…"

"Hmmm… And it wasn't the "Committee"?" "CF" Blues asked.

"No… The one who approached me was a Navi named Drill Man: he claimed to be working for someone "powerful" who had a use for me: recreate Forte. He was the one who designed that Cyber Suit, too, but… I always felt weird having it on. I mean… Some "bad" thoughts would flow into my head and sometimes I wasn't even aware of what I was doing for several minutes… Like I was being controlled or manipulated…" He explained with a sigh.

"Brainwashed, you mean to say?" "CF" Blues guessed.

"Yeah! That's the word I was looking for."

"So it'd mean that your behavior and actions weren't truly yours but set up by the man behind this…" "CF" Netto calmly muttered.

"Yeah… I barely remember anything of that day about four weeks ago… The "brainwashing" felt more intense than ever. In one of the moments I felt like it was loosening, I suddenly found myself aiming a gun at you and about to pull the trigger… I immediately froze in place because I thought I'd killed you… A guy showed… A _Darth Vader_ wannabe... I tried shooting, the bullets bounced off… He then lifted me and somehow turned off my Cyber Suit before knocking me out with violence by hitting my head against one of the servers…" Obihiro described.

"Mr. Sponsor… So… What happened afterwards? Where were you being held hostage at?" "CF" Netto asked of him.

"I dunno the place, really… I was always in a metallic room somewhere which included a bathroom, a bed, a desk and a laptop."

"Hum." "CF" Blues seemed interested.

"I had access to several downloaded contents like games, _manga_, movies and _anime_ but it was set so that it was missing its NIC: I couldn't access the Cyber World at all… Someone apparently came in late at night and updated the contents from time to time… But I never saw anyone. The food and drinks came in a platter through a slit built under the armored door. A computer-typed letter atop the desk claimed this was a "Purgatory" where I was supposed to "purge" myself…" He described.

"Didn't the room shake or vibrate at all?" "CF" Blues tried asking.

"No. The walls were sound-proof so even if I played something aloud through the computer, I bothered no – one… And through staying there and the passing of days, I began to recall more memories… Truth is… My parents died in that plane accident provoked by a bug on its systems, one of the first major crimes involving the Cyber World… My only relatives only wanted to leech my inheritance and people at the school bullied me for no reason… I was getting fed up with life so I gladly accepted Drill Man's offer: he directed me to that apartment building and I began assembling the servers to try to create my own "world": but I myself only wanted to try to create my own forum to ID children with problems like mine and try to help them somehow. Obviously, Drill Man's boss wanted me to be a scapegoat and a front." Obihiro detailed.

"Hum. And something tells me he wasn't actually aiming to "rule" the world per se with Forte's copies… Something tells me he had another reason to recreate Forte… I wonder if those three mysterious unidentified Net Navis are related…" "CF" Blues muttered.

"I'd heard about them and told Freeze Man to be wary in case they tried to break into the Kotobuki Square HQ, but no one apart from Rock Man or the Gospel Navis ever came there in the end." Obihiro confessed.

"… Given how you weren't your usual self and you didn't realize what you were doing, then… I can't blame you for that of the bullets. So I'll forgive you because most of what you did was staged by someone else and they wanted you to be the culprit."

"Huh? What?"

"I want you to carry out that idea of the forum: it sounds like something from which people would benefit a lot, I'd say."

"W-whoa! Eh… Thanks a lot, I guess, Hikari – kun." He thanked.

"Call me Netto."

"Eh… Netto – kun, then."

"The forum idea might do for a sentence in community hours: he can only be charged with minor stuff, anyway." "CF" Blues muttered.

"Whoa." Obihiro sounded surprised.

The "Dimensional Converters "suddenly retreated and both released their "Cross Fusions": Obihiro looked surprised at it.

"This new tech looks cool… There was a report on the computer I used."

"Oh! By the way… Let's take this device for analysis." Netto suggested.

"Hmmm… It looks like it's some kind of pump which injects a fluid into the body… Maybe it was a drug to temporally given him additional strength and cancelled his perceptions… But we could justify it saying it was intended to be used for this battle."

"Well… Shun – kun. Come with us. We're going to try to convince Commissioner Kifune of the fact you were being manipulated. And I want to be your first _real_ friend, too!" Netto told him.

"W-whoa! T-thanks a lot." He looked awed.

"Are we going or not?" Enzan called out as he began to leave.

"Che. That Enzan… Always trying to be the cool guy."

"He's got some nice spots but his father forces him to be a cold and hostile person who only can think of his VP job." Rock Man sighed and shrugged.

"I'm going to leave you two behind."

"O-oi! Wait for us!"

"Please wait for us, Ijuiin – sama!"

12:18 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hello?"

"Hikari – hakase."

"Zataki – san?"

"Yes, sir. It is me, sir."

Yuuichirou replied to a phone call and looked curious.

"Could you please come to my secondary home tomorrow at 9 AM, more o less, sir? I want to finish preparing things and your help could be needed, sir." He politely requested.

"Sure. I need to take a break, anyway. When should I tell Netto and Saito to come, though?"

"Maybe 10 AM would be fine, sir?" Vadous suggested.

"10 AM… It'll do fine."

"Thank you very much, sir. Did you receive a report about today's happenings, sir?"

"I did. I've been told Commissioner Kifune received evidence of Obihiro – kun's manipulation: he's approved of giving him the chance to start that forum project because it is a social contribution."

"I am glad of it, sir. My idea worked out, then."

"It sure did. Well then… See you tomorrow at 9 AM."

"Good afternoon, sir."

Yuuichirou placed the wireless on its base and wiped clean his glasses' lenses with his coat.

_Tomorrow…! I'm burning with impatience, even. All will soon reach a satisfactory conclusion… Haruka… The promise I made on that day six years ago will be made true… Thank you for your support…_

Yuuichirou let out a sigh of relief and managed to smile…


	7. Chapter 7: Saito's new life

**Chapter 7: Saito's new life**

09:49 AM (Japan Time), Thursday August the 30th…

"… Huh… Nice morning, yeah…"

Netto was skating across a residential district somewhere and looking slightly absent minded.

"What's up, Netto – kun?" Saito asked.

"You know… I'm glad Shun – kun was innocent in the end, but… It's picking me. I know that someone who has a Navi named Drill Man was using him, but… I still don't get why he wanted to recreate Forte for another reason which wasn't about "ruling" the world…" Netto muttered.

"Besides… It was a failure in the end. That copy surely was pale compared to the real one." Saito added.

"Sure was. We didn't even sweat." Netto shrugged.

"Hmmm… I'm starting to think about that mysterious "Vault" in the Science Labs… Papa never would tell me what it was about, for "security reasons": four powerful barriers restricted access to it. Maybe it's something very important and maybe the real Forte would be able to break into that "Vault" to steal whatever there's inside." Saito suddenly suggested.

"That sounds possible, you know. If only we could meet that Mr. Sponsor guy… I'm sure he knows what's going on behind the scenes. And I noticed a strange man following me several times from a distance but he eventually disappeared. Something tells me was somehow connected to Drill Man's Operator." Netto added his opinion to it.

"Anyway… Slow down, Netto – kun. We're almost there and we don't want to skip the correct house."

Netto slowed down while checking the numbers and finally stopped in front of one of them: it was a modest – sized house which looked like it was of recent construction: the name in the mailbox read "Zataki" so Netto slowly nodded.

"This is the address, right?" Netto asked for confirmation.

"There's no mistaking it. However… I'm sure we don't anyone named "Zataki"…" Saito sounded unsure.

Netto rang the doorbell and waited.

"I'm coming!" Yuuichirou's voice announced from the inside.

He opened the door and stepped out.

"Good morning!"

"Hey! Papa! What's with all the secrecy?" Netto asked with a smile.

"You'll see soon enough. Come in." Yuuichirou invited.

Both of them entered into the scarcely furnished hall: Netto left the shoes on the entrance and put on slippers like he always did when entering a house.

_It looks like whoever lives here has not been living here for long… It's rather empty… _Netto commented to Saito.

_Or maybe the owner doesn't come here often and it's only a secondary residence… _Saito suggested.

"Come this way." Yuuichirou instructed.

Netto followed him until they reached the traditional sliding doors of a living room: Yuuichirou carefully slid it to the left and opened it.

"Step in." Yuuichirou told Netto.

Netto entered the living room and examined it: the typical wooden tea table was placed on the exact center of the room and four _tatami_ cushions placed at each end of the table: there was a drawer set with a white porcelain jar set on top of it at the left of the north doo.

"Let's sit down." Yuuichirou told Netto.

He picked the leftmost cushion while Netto picked the one in the south end of the table: both sat down and waited.

"… Papa. Can't you tell us already? I feel nervous." Netto whispered to him after looking around.

"You're too impatient, Netto. You shouldn't behave like that when someone invites you to their houses: you must look patient and grateful of having been invited." Yuuichirou instructed.

"Like Papa says… Cool it down, Netto – kun."

They heard footsteps coming close and the north door slid to the right: Vadous stepped in and closed it behind before sitting down on his cushion facing them.

"Good morning, Netto – kun, Saito – kun."

"W-what?" Saito gasped.

"Relax." Yuuichirou instructed.

"W-who are you, mister?" Netto asked.

"Have you forgotten me? We last met on Monday."

"Monday… Mr. Sponsor!" Netto gasped.

"Whoa!"

"Please call me Vadous."

"Vad… ous…? Wait. That sounds like… Can't be… It's a joke, right, Mr. Sponsor?" Netto looked skeptical.

"I am afraid it isn't. It's the biggest irony of my life, yet… I can't shake it off no matter what." He admitted with a sigh.

"So… What's going around here?" Saito asked.

"I'll explain. But, firstly… There's something which has to be done. Please follow me." Vadous replied.

He stood up and opened the north sliding door: he signaled for them to follow him and they walked down a corridor towards an open door leading to the basement.

"After you, Netto – kun."

Netto descended firstly and entered the basement room: it was made up of bare concrete bricks and illuminated by loose bulbs in the ceiling.

There was an object right in front of him which immediately got his attention: the mysterious brown metallic cylindrical capsule was placed there.

"Whoa." Netto whistled in surprise.

"First time I see this… I'd never seen anything like this on the Science Labs, either." Saito muttered.

"Could you please do a Plug In into that control panel?" Vadous requested as he entered the room along with Yuuichirou.

"Is it O. K., Papa?" Netto asked.

"Sure. Go ahead." Yuuichirou confirmed.

"O. K.! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

The machinery around the capsule started to hum and some lights started to light up a few seconds after the IR laser hit the Plug – In port: oddly enough, he could see nothing in the PET screen: it was pitch black.

"Huh? What happened? Saito – niisan?" Netto called out.

_Niisan? Huh? Weird. He seems to have lost consciousness or something: he doesn't acknowledge my signals! _

The capsule hissed: some small circular hatches opened on the sides and steam began to come out followed by the sound of water sliding down pipes: the half-cylinder-shaped cover unlocked and moved to the right: it remained parallel to the main body of the capsule.

"W-whoa~!" Netto uttered.

A short figure could be seen rising from inside the capsule in a slow manner, its arms bent forward: the figure turned to its left and then placed its legs on the ground.

"Wait a min."

Vadous walked into the steam and helped the figure stand: it seemed to have problems keeping its balance given its erratic pacing.

"Who's that…?" Netto wondered.

Vadous walked out of the steam followed by _Saito_: he still had his Navi bodysuit and helmet on but he was there: standing at Vadous' right and walking forward: he looked totally emotional and Netto's jaw hit the floor from the surprise.

"W-what…?" He gasped.

Vadous helped Saito walk until a simple chair and he sat down as he slowly articulated his arms: Netto stood in front of him.

"… Sa… Saito – Nissan…?" He asked.

"That's me, Netto - kun!" He confirmed.

"I… This is a dream, right?" He was baffled.

"Wait." Saito grinned.

He extended his right hand and closed it around Netto's right cheek: he pulled the skin and Netto yelped.

"Ouch! Stop it!" He protested.

"So! It isn't a dream, then?" Saito asked.

"I c-can't believe it…! Niisan… On the real world…! Just how…?"

Some instinct led Netto to touch his face and caressed his right cheek: his skin felt both smooth and real: it was still humid since it seemed that he had been submerged in some kind of fluid.

"Well… I got inside and used a Warp Point to transfer somewhere: a Cyber World with extremely elevated security measures: I spotted some kind of tall cylinder in the middle of it and some instinct led me to enter it: my Navi frame went dumb and my consciousness was carefully separated from it and converted into electrical signals."

"W-whoa…"

"Next thing I knew I was inside of that capsule, with swimmer goggles on and having one oxygen mask on me. I was surrounded by a greenish fluid which quickly evaporated. The cover opened, so I took off both things and started to rise. Vadous – san came over and helped step out of it." Saito detailed.

"W-whoa… But, then… Does this mean…? Are you a human again or how does this work like…?" Netto asked.

"… Oh. I'm starting to realize. I'm about 90% human, but my brain is totally electronic… The device I saw is the key component of it… Nanomachines flow through my blood and… I have some implants on the CNS which help it understand my brain's outputs…" Saito explained as he stood there.

"Papa! This is incredible!" Netto exclaimed.

"Sorry. But the credit goes to Mr. Vadous: he was the one who came up with it."

"Whoa~!" Both uttered.

"Don't you realize, Netto and Saito? Saito. You can be a human again and live in the real world again! But… You can _always_ come back to the Cyber World. It's the ultimate solution! Our family will be complete again!"

"True…! We hadn't realized…! Niisan…! You're back! Welcome back! I missed you so much… This makes up for all those years!" Netto suddenly hugged him and sobbed out of the emotion.

"Netto – kun… Thank you. I'm so glad to be back… It felt so shameful to have to hide every time you came to the Science Labs… But no more hiding: I'm your niisan. I've always been." Saito hugged him, too.

"How… How can we thank you, Vadous – san?" Netto asked.

"You needn't: I did it to prove that I want the best for you two. You fought for everyone's sake and you managed to defeat three schemes which threatened Network Society." Vadous made a weak smile.

"So… Who's Drill Man's Boss?" Saito asked.

"Wily."

"WHAT!"

"Yeah. He's been alive the whole time and pulling the strings: the "Professor" was unaware of it." Vadous confirmed.

"And his goal is what's hidden in the Science Labs' "vault"?" Saito quickly grasped.

"Correct. That's Proto's Core."

"Proto's Core?"

"Proto means Prototype Internet: it was the very first version of the Internet we know, developed in the late 80s. However… It was a disaster and it had to be sealed away. A new project was started from scratch under new security measures and became the current Internet." Vadous explained.

"And Forte had to break into the "Vault"?" Saito asked next.

"Not really… Drill Man had to once he got the Tetra Codes to open it: Forte was supposed to destroy Hikari Tadashi – hakase's ultimate defense line: the "Guardian Program". It's one of the most powerful defense programs ever made and only you, Saito – kun, or Forte would be able to destroy it. The reason Wily suddenly forced Obihiro – kun to attack you was because he'd already realized copying Forte through Bug Fusion was a fiasco and he thought it'd be easier to use you for his evil plans of laying wreck to the Network Society." Vadous explained.

"What a jerk!" Netto cursed.

"True. But I've been placing my "pressure" on the guy, so I plan on forcing him to stick his arm outta the window: the police will quickly be able to catch him and his accomplices. The man following you as of late was one of them, Saiko Rei and his Navi Flash Man, but the "Committee" agents discreetly protecting you and your friends forced him to back up and even more when Chief Lezareno personally scared the skin outta him."

"Why did "Proto" fail and why did they have to seal it up? Did it have any mistakes? And how can Wily use it to threaten us, anyway?" Netto looked curious.

"You see… During the testing, construction, updating and layering of Proto, a small bug slipped inside of some sections. It slowly grew by feeding off data stolen from other sectors and began to infect the very core: it gained an amoeba-like level of intelligence, too, and it wished to absorb all data into it and keep on growing. But the scientists didn't realize it and instead tried to make a scapegoat out of Forte: he was a Science Labs project headed by a scientist named Dr. Cossack."

"Whoa. Forte was a project from the late 80s…!" Saito looked awed at the news.

"Why did they blame him?" Netto asked.

"His "Get Ability Program" allowed him to "copy" abilities from Viruses, Programs or Net Navis alike: he could keep them or discard them to build up a library of sorted techniques and attacks: the scientists back then used to be more like "Net Navis are dumb tools which have to be under the total control of a human" so they saw that project as a menace to their control over the primitive Net Navis: that's why they tried to blame it for Proto's multiple malfunctions… Proto took profit of that and realized blaming Forte would help them grown more powerful once the scrutiny was called off. Despite Hikari Tadashi – hakase's strong defense of the project, the staff secretly ordered the Security Navis to delete him, but, by that time, Forte was stronger than any of them and could escape alive although with a scar on his chest which he still holds. And, obviously, that didn't solve Proto's problems." Vadous narrated.

"Poor guy… Being made into a scapegoat just because he was "new" and "different"… Grandpa and that Dr. Cossack mister must've ended up enraged at it." Netto muttered.

"Of course they were and even more when it'd been clearly proved that Proto itself was to blame _days_ on advance. But they tried to corrupt that report for their ends, too."

"What!"

"There was a closed doors scandal which ended with some forced resignations of the staff imposed by the critics of other Japanese laboratories' staff. Dr. Cossack could never bear the loss of his "child" and exiled himself back to Sharo Nation and swore never to dedicate his life to such works. He currently is a good mathematic in some Sharo Nation colleges."

"So. They had to stop Proto somehow now that it was proven that it was the real enemy." Saito deduced.

"Correct. The first idea was to use a program labeled "Giga Freeze": but it had too many disadvantages: normal Navis couldn't handle its power and could end up "frozen" forever and, if it failed, the non-infected sections of the Internet would be doomed to be unable to work forever. So, the idea was discarded and another approach was sought: cut all outside access to Proto's servers and slowly "kill" it off: it took time, money and efforts but Proto was finally subdued and its core sealed by the "Guardian Program": four Tetra Codes were designed to protect its "Vault" and were there hidden at random across the nation: their location has shifted in total secrecy every five years, more or less. So, given the failure of the Proto project, Internet was rebuilt from scratch. Back then, given the low numbers of devices linked, it was possible to work with that approach, but, by today… It would extremely difficult." Vadous concluded.

"I see. And if Proto were to run berserk again, Wily could try to hijack military systems and start a new war like he pretended to do with the Dream Virus by loading it into that rocket. And that's why he wants Forte."

"What's become of the _original_ Forte, though?" Netto asked.

"Sadly… He continues to wander the Cyber World avoiding all contact and only fights those he deems "strong" or "worth his time": but that "treason" by the humans traumatized him and he swore revenge on the whole of them: he mistakenly went by the "guilty by association" terminology while, in truth, he should only hate less than 10 persons in this whole nation: some of them have already died, even."

"What are you gonna do about Wily, though?" Saito requested.

"Like I said… I'm still divided about if it should be wise to hit him _now_ or force him to bring his collapse by his own actions: I guess the second would be more devastating to him morally speaking, but… It means he could get desperate and try _anything_." Vadous sighed.

"True… You can't predict what he might want to do when he's under so much pressure." Netto muttered.

"I'd rather be wary." Yuuichirou admitted.

"He is not confident: Chief Lezareno let Saiko go along with a message of warning to Wily: if he moves a finger about the Net Police, the Officials, any of their family or friends, he can consider himself doomed in less than 2 hours afterwards. I guess this is enough to set him to think and realize it's not bluff: his so-called "fortress" isn't as inexpugnable as he may believe to be." Vadous detailed.

"Well… I'd say we leave that talk for another day. We should celebrate this day with some tea and snacks." Yuuichirou called out.

"Good idea, Hikari – hakase, sir. Oh. Saito – kun. That bodysuit is just like clothing, so… If you'd come with me, Hikari – hakase and I prepared some clothes for you…" Vadous smiled.

"Whoa… Thank you!" Saito looked awed.

"Netto and I will be heading to the living room. Come, Netto."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Later, niisan."

"Don't pick the snacks off the kitchen before I get there, Netto – kun: you tend to be a bit of glutton when you want to." Saito smiled at him.

"You heard Saito: no ransacking the kitchen!" Yuuichirou smiled.

"I don't "ransack" the kitchen, Papa!" Netto moaned.

"Who knows?" Saito teased.

"Mr. Legged Potato may?" Vadous joked.

10:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Sorry to keep you waiting…"

Saito entered the living room along with Vadous: he was wearing blue sea jeans plus a white shirt and a blue sleeveless vest over it.

His brown hair was combed in a neatly manner, creating a symmetric-like shape.

He sat down with some help from Vadous.

"Don't try to do too much effort: you need to get used to how your body works like, Saito – kun."

"I understand, sir."

"Whoa. You look cool, niisan." Netto whistled in surprise.

"When I did I stop looking 'cool', anyway?" He grinned.

"I guess never." Yuuichirou chuckled.

"Do excuse me for a moment: I am going to fetch the tea and the snacks at the kitchen." Vadous excused himself.

"Oh! By the way, Saito… Believe it or not… I was able to arrange with Commissioner Kifune to provide you an ID… I came up with the believable story that it's a special robot-like body which can emulate some human body functions and that you'd volunteered to test this prototype: a project which my father set the basis for and I've been able to complete. He didn't doubt me for a single moment and we worked out your cover story: you had undergone several surgeries to try to heal HBD until a new methodology was discovered in the summer: you've now been "healed" and discharged at last." Yuuichirou detailed.

"Whoa~!" Both whistled in surprise.

"And do you realize what does this mean as well?"

"I can… go to school with Netto – kun… as a person!" Saito gasped in surprise.

"Whoa!" Netto uttered.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll be pulling your ears to make you do the homework, Netto – kun." Saito teased.

"Yeah. Guess so." Netto muttered.

"Heh, heh! Homework is your taboo, Netto – kun."

"Yeah. I know that."

"And something tells me Miyuki – san would predict that you will get panic to pencils." Saito giggled.

"Oi, oi…"

A phone suddenly rang out somewhere and they heard rushed footsteps heading towards another room.

"… Oh! Chief. So? Hmmm… The "Double Strategy" didn't take effect… The guy obviously saw it as a provocation to fall for and didn't dare to risk it all in there… Do make sure to check for any sympathizers: they could be trying something similar… Fine. Later, Chief… And don't forget to check about the storm from time to time either… I don't think they'll dare to loophole their punishments but… You never know." Vadous could be heard speaking through the phone.

They heard his footsteps and he then stopped in front of the living room's sliding door: he left a platter on the ground and slid the door open to bring the platter in before closing it: he deposited it on top of the table and then served the tea in the teacups before placing some cookies on the small dishes and handing them out.

"_Itadakimasu_." He announced.

"_Itadakimasu_." The other three replied.

They calmly drank the tea and ate their cookies: they then left the dishes inside of the platter and breathed for some seconds before slowly exhaling.

"So… Wily doesn't dare to stick his arm outta the window?"

"No. We tried using a hologram and lowering security to provoke him taking into account his short temper, but… I guess he saw through the provocation and didn't dare to move: he's even told his members to hurry it up and find the new locations of the Tetra Codes."

"I guess it'll be like finding a needle in a straw mass." Saito commented with a smile.

"Yeah. I even moved some of them overseas to make it even harder for them to find. Their originals locations were the Yoka Yoka Zoo, Akihara City Elementary School's Principal Office, Seaside Hospital and the Science Labs itself." Vadous admitted.

"Whoa. Even in our school… Who'd want to look for such an important thing in a mere school? So that's why they placed it there…"

"Oh! By the way, Vadous – san… Those rumored sightings of 3 mysterious Net Navis… Do they work for you, sir?" Saito asked.

"Correct. Maybe you'll be meeting them one of these days: they're rather busy fooling Wily into looking into dummy spots by pretending to be in charge of their security. Wily must aim to, at the very least, have Proto's Core at hand and use it as deterrence." Vadous confirmed.

"I see. But unless he found the Tetra Codes, breaking into the "Vault" is impossible: its security measures are some of the highest."

"Correct, sir. Even my most powerful Navi was unable to make an approach undetected or break through in a VR recreation of those same conditions. The Tetra Codes are a must-have."

"Whoa. VR recreation… Sounds cool!" Netto whistled.

"I guess Mama will be exultant once we get home." Saito smiled.

"I will maintain contact and inform of any developments. We may meet again from time to time. Good morning."

"Good. Let's go, you two." Yuuichirou instructed.

"_Ittekimasu_~!"

11:24 AM (Japan Time)…

"… We're home!"

"Welcome back… Kami – sama!"

The three of them had entered home and Haruka had come out to receive them only to gasp at seeing Saito there.

"Saito? Is that you?" She asked.

"It's me, Mama!" Saito confirmed.

Haruka immediately caressed Saito's right cheek as if to check and gasped again.

"Yuuichirou – san… How did you…?" She asked Yuuichirou.

"Dear. It's a project a gentleman and I underwent together. We weren't totally sure if it would work so that's why I said nothing. But it has worked: Saito can be with us again." Yuuichirou announced.

"He's totally human?" Haruka asked.

"Truth to be told… The body is designed so that his Navi body enters the electronic brain and then his consciousness is integrated with it. He can leave it and then the internal intravenous nanomachines would make sure his body kept on being alive. It would be like he was sleeping... I promised that I would find a way for Saito to return into the family, didn't I? I fulfilled it." Yuuichirou explained.

"I never doubted you would, Yuuichirou – san…" She sobbed from the happiness.

"Mama. I'm back." Saito announced.

"Welcome back home… Saito." She replied with a smile.

"Come, niisan! You gotta check out the room." Netto patted his right shoulder from behind.

"Sure. I'm curious to see how it feels now that I'm no longer looking at it from inside the PET." Saito smiled.

Netto guided Saito into the bedroom and he looked around, examining and touching everything: he finally stopped and looked excited.

"… Wow. It sure feels different." Saito commented.

"Heh, heh!"

"Where will I be sleeping, though? I don't want to invade your bed, Netto – kun."

"Don't worry! We always keep a spare _futon_ just in case. You could use it and we'd switch every a few days to make it fair. We'll eventually install a definitive bed." Netto replied.

"Perfect."

"By the way…" Netto began.

"What's up?" Saito asked.

Netto suddenly lifted part of Saito's shirt near the stomach and began to tickle him: Saito began to laugh from the sensation and Netto grinned.

"You're very sensitive. I'll make sure to exploit this." Netto announced.

"You love doing something mischief, eh?" Saito commented.

"I sure do. Well… Let's remember to go with Papa's cover story once we introduce you to the group. But I guess Yaito will yell about why she didn't think of such a thing. She always wants to get the glory of having invented something new." Netto chucked.

"Yeah. And Dekao will not get half of the explanation. He'll try to challenge us to a Net Battle… I guess we'll have to come up with a dummy Navi to take my place and fool everyone." Saito muttered.

"Don't worry about that now, niisan. We've got a whole trimester of the new 6th grade in front of us: let's enjoy it!" Netto rallied.

"Sure. The Hikari Brothers strike back!" Saito invented a motto.

Both laughed at it and they shook their hands: they were finally reunited again…


	8. Chapter 8: Foling schemes

**Chapter 8: Foiling schemes**

10:02 AM (Japan Time), Sunday September the 2nd…

"… Well! We got the textbooks and everything we need for the new course! I'm so excited!"

"How _untypical_ of you, Netto – kun."

"I get the irony."

"Heh, heh."

Netto and Saito were walking down a street while carrying some bags: Saito grinned at Netto, who rolled his eyes.

"By the way… Do you think that car which keeps on following us was requested by Vadous – san?" Saito asked him in a whisper.

"Huh? Ah. That blue Hyundai, you mean? Yeah. They must be a way to force Wily to think it twice before attempting something. The guy must be boiling with impatience. And if he didn't fall for that provocation, then the more." Netto commented.

"Yeah. He'll surely depend upon a proxy."

"Proxy…?" Netto frowned.

"A mercenary, a grunt, name it." Saito shrugged.

"Oh. True. He won't dare to come out of his hideout."

"Anyway… We could play "Pillow War" one day, like we did before I was hospitalized." Saito whispered.

"Oho. True. I'm totally rusty by now. I need to shine again." Netto grinned and liked the idea.

"Beware: Pillow Man backs me up."

"Very original." Netto muttered.

"You never know: maybe someone will come up with Pillow Man and patent it!"

Suddenly, though, a man ran out from a side street while holding a knife on his right hand: he was aiming for Netto's chest, who gasped in horror and felt unable to react: Saito suddenly moved past him as a blur and kicked the man's nose: he let go of the knife out of instinct and Saito quickly used a _judo_ technique to throw him into the ground in a violent manner, thus knocking him out.

"Goodness! An assassin…?" Netto gasped.

"Yeah. No doubt. Wily did get desperate." Saito muttered.

The Hyundai car suddenly parked next to them and two men on their thirties climbed down: both dressed in black business suits with navy blue neckties, a black hat and sunglasses: one of them had black hair while the other had a military haircut style.

"Do excuse us. Agents Karasu & Mori. Security Department. Under orders from Chief Lezaeno." They introduced themselves.

"Ah… This man tried to attack us." Netto signaled.

"We saw it. We apologize for the slow reaction." The black-haired agent apologized.

"We should take this one to the Net Police HQ. It'd seem Dr. Wily has finally decided to stick his arm outside the window through a proxy: it was obvious he'd eventually try to be the arrogant and employ such a type of person." The military haircut agent commented to his partner.

"You carried handcuffs, didn't you, Mori?" The first agent asked.

"Yeah, Karasu. Let's handcuff him and call for the Net Police. We have a license of private security, after all, and Hikari – hakase gave his approval to our surveillance." Mori replied.

"I'm going to ring Commissioner Kifune: he needs to be notified of this ASAP." Netto offered.

"Good. He'll make sure to send a car here at top speed. They could take care of this man and these gentlemen would drive us to the Net Police HQ, too." Saito nodded in agreement.

10:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So… This man tried to assault you with murder intention, then, Netto – kun?"

"There's no mistaking it, sir."

"Oh. Saito – kun. We first meet, I believe."

"Yes, sir. Hikari Saito, sir. I am please to know you, sir."

The twins were conversing with Commissioner Kifune while standing in a room having a one-sided mirror allowing view into the questioning room where the attacker was being questioned by two detectives.

"Who paid you?" One questioned.

"An old man named Liwy or something like that." The grunt scoffed.

"Describe him."

"I'd say on the 60s… Almost all bald head… Moustache… Had a hostile look to him…" The man shrugged.

"Wily." The twins guessed.

"Dr. Wily? So he was alive?" Commissioner Kifune muttered.

"It was obvious, sir. If we pick "Liwy" and write it down on Alphabet letters to then switch each consonant for the other then we get "Wily": he was too lazy to make up a good alias." Saito exposed.

"True. So, taking into account the information suggesting about someone having staged Gospel to recreate Forte… That someone would be Wily and his goal would probably be something important."

"Proto, sir." Netto replied.

"Proto! He actually wants to resurrect that monster-like thing? I see! Forte would be the only one who could break the "Guardian Program" protecting it! Something must be done." Kifune gasped.

"I believe it is on the works, sir." Saito replied.

"Oh. Those "Committee" people, you mean… They surely must've known of Wily's involvement from long ago and were waiting for this moment to have direct proof of his involvement…" Kifune brought a hand to his chin and looked thoughtful.

"In fact… We received some information which suggests that Wily has been challenged to make a move several times but didn't fall for the provocation. But he's finally decided to strike now and he's most likely speeding up his search for the so-called "Tetra Codes": they've been relocated to make it harder for Wily to find them, sir." Netto detailed to Kifune.

"Good move. If we can stop him from getting Proto's Core, then he's pretty much powerless to threaten us. He may use his new Net Navis to stir up some incidents, but… We can handle those."

"True, sir. If we could handle all those previous incidents, we can handle whatever Wily comes up with out of the blue. His attempts to locate or approach Forte are being in vain as well, we've been told. And it'll be hard to even get him to reply to anything." Saito smiled.

"In short: he's getting stuck at every possible end… That's good. Regarding that man… He's obviously going to be processed for attempted attack on a Net Savior. And I'm glad Hikari – hakase requested security: until Wily is brought down, we won't be able to properly rest."

"I guess we can go back already, can we?" Netto asked.

"Sure. Keep your eyes open: other parties could try something similar out of resentment. People can get desperate when their so-called "idols" are brought down: the fanatics can be dangerous, too." Kifune warned.

"We will take into mind, sir." Saito confirmed.

"Fair enough. Be careful, you two."

"Roger. Let's go, Saito – niisan."

"Yeah. Good morning."

"Good morning."

10:44 AM (Japan Time)…

"… JEEZ!"

The twins were walking down an avenue along with Agent Karasu following them at a respectful distance: they stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing and waited for the traffic light to change to green so as to continue.

"Bothersome Wily! He should've accepted it: he lost the round. Stubborn guy. If he wanted to continue his robotics project… Then go and find a private sponsor in a foreign country!" Netto growled.

"Yeah. If he'd done that, then we wouldn't have to get headaches coming from him. But now that he's shown his hand Vadous – san and the "Committee" will be able to catch him." Saito grumbled.

BANG!

"Look out!"

Saito tackled Netto towards the ground but he emitted an exhale of pain as they fell: they heard a loud PLOP sound and something hitting the floor near to them.

"Damn!" Karasu cursed.

Netto looked up and spotted Agent Karasu brandishing a gun and looking towards a side alley from which someone's legs came out: he then noticed something dripping into his hand and spotted that Saito was bleeding from a wound on his right leg below the hip.

"Ugh… It… hurts…" He groaned.

"Niisan…!" Netto gasped.

"What happened?" Mori asked as he suddenly climbed out of the car which had parked in a rushed manner.

"This gunner hit Mr. Saito! Tend to them: I'll try to ID this jerk. I'm about to beat them up like Batman beat Holiday when he managed to arrest the guy at last in _The Long Halloween_!" Karasu growled.

Mori helped Netto to make Saito sit on the ground and quickly took out a wool handkerchief which he tied around the area of the wound.

"This will slow the bleeding down… We should call an ambulance and have it removed." Mori instructed.

"I'll do." Netto slowly replied.

"Damn. This guy has a Gospel tattoo on his right arm: a fanatic! And this one wasn't paid by Wily, but once Chief Lezareno hears of this you can make sure he'll get one of his bad moods." Karasu hissed.

"And Commissioner Kifune did warn us about them!" Saito growled in clear frustration.

"Please calm down, Mr. Saito. Breathe deeply. Exhale slowly."

Saito followed his instructions and seemed to shake some tension off him: Netto was talking with someone over the PET.

"… Yeah! Densan City 2nd District, the corner between Meiji Avenue and Murayabaki Road! A bullet which hit the area below the right hip… We've slowed down the bleeding and I think it shouldn't be life-threatening, but it would be best to examine it… 10 minutes? Thank you very much!"

"Chief? I am afraid I have bad news." Karasu reported via a cell phone.

"Wily?"

"A Gospel fanatic, sir. Mr. Saito suffered a minor injury, but it might immobilize his right leg for a few days, sir."

"… Hmpf. Bothersome mice." Lezareno muttered.

"Yes, sir. Correct, sir."

"Good job. Call the Net Police: I'll contact Mr. Denpa. This cannot keep on like this: Wily goes down here and today. I'm sure he's the one who incited the fanatic, too." Lezareno grumbled.

"What a morning. I almost get stabbed and niisan gets a bullet on his leg…!"

12:28 PM (Japan Time)…

"… How do you feel like? Niisan?"

"… More or less."

Netto was keeping company to Saito while on the hospital room: he had a thick bandage around the area he'd been hit and was resting on the bed while having a hospital pajama on: Netto was sitting on a chair next to him and looking nervous.

"Man. It's hard to believe there are people who can attack a teen guy out of money. Society is really deteriorating nowadays." Netto cursed.

"Yeah… It's a mess." Saito grumbled.

"Excuse me. May I come in?" A familiar voice asked outside of the room after knocking in the door.

"Come in!" Both replied.

Vadous stepped in while sporting his business attire and his blue contacts: he walked in and stopped next to them.

"Good morning."

"Oh. Vadous – san."

"How is your wound like? Saito – kun." Vadous politely asked.

"I'll have to use a clutch for six or seven days until it fully heals. It could have been worse." Saito explained.

"Wily has asked for it: I'm going after him."

"Where is he hiding, anyway?" Netto asked.

"He's in an island far south… The area around it is named the "Demon's Ocean"… The currents there, the "Demon's Currents", are extremely fast and can destroy a ship in the blink of an eye… But I don't need a boat to get there, luckily enough." Vadous explained.

"What will you do with him?" Saito asked.

"Oh. I'll simply pave the way for the Net Police to get inside: I'll destroy any robots, defenses or machines he may have and then show him how powerless he truly is." Vadous calmly replied.

"Good. He's over by today." Netto looked satisfied.

"Of course."

There was a knock and both Yuuichirou and Haruka walked in: they both looked worried.

"Oh. Haruka. Let me introduce you to Vadous – san: he's the gentleman who aided on my project." Yuuichirou introduced.

"I am pleased to meet you, ma'am." Vadous politely bowed.

"My. He looks like an Edo Era gentleman." Haruka giggled.

"Is that so?" Vadous looked surprised.

"Don't mind my wife, please. She tends to tease people."

"Ah… I see, sir. Ahem, ahem… Well. I located Wily and I've confirmed his _double_ involvement. He is over. I am personally going to destroy any of his projects while the Net Police are making their way to the island. He will be left powerless by the time they get there: they are also rounding up the Operators and my Navis are going to capture theirs, too. It's a coordinated operation which will totally collapse his would-be new WWW." Vadous cleared his throat to explain.

"Good. Such a man cannot roam free anymore: he's lost all concept of "moral" and is a criminal." Yuuichirou looked satisfied.

"Attacking a child… Such a person cannot be labeled a "person" anymore: it is more like a "Demon"." Haruka muttered.

"True, sir and ma'am. If you shall excuse me… I shall be going."

"Good luck." The four of them rallied.

"Thank you very much. We shall meet in some hours' time."

"This ends today." The twins muttered.

13:15 PM (Japan Time)…

"… What the hell? Someone intruded but the security systems are collapsing one after the other? What the grunts doing?"

Dr. Wily was checking a cybernetic blackboard behind a desk inside of a largely unlit room: some reports were coming in one after the other with the titles "WARNING", "DANGER", "CAUTION" and such being displayed on them using red capital Alphabet letters.

"Your grunts won't save you, Wily." A voice rang out.

"Who…?"

Wily turned around to see Vadous walking towards him while sporting his body armor: he'd even drawn two real-looking medieval-like swords the blades of which flickered with purple-colored electricity: his breathing sound could be clearly heard and it seemed to chill the whole atmosphere all of a sudden: Wily recoiled and met the blackboard behind him: Vadous suddenly jumped from his spot into the air, flew over the desk, and landed in front of him: he aimed one of the swords at inches from his neck.

"_Game Over_. We told you, didn't we? If you dared to stick your arm outta the window, then you'd be bringing about your own collapse in a few hours' time. There's no use pretending. I'm the one who's kept you from locating either Forte or the Tetra Codes ever since the defeat of Gospel on August the 1st." Vadous quickly told him.

"What the…! Who the hell are you lowlife?" Wily cursed.

"Vadous. And this is your end. Regal won't be able to help you and Colonel Barrel will quickly cut all linking with you once he learns about how you tried to have a child murdered _thrice_. We will be placing Iris under his custody as well and eliminate that programming of yours. I am sure Colonel Barrel's father would be totally angered at you if he could see you by now, too." Vadous continued.

"Why, you…! That's… impossible!" Wily cursed.

"Hmpf."

Vadous suddenly holstered his swords and took out the same remote device Ocelot had been seen using: he pressed the blue button and a single "Dimensional Converter" emerged.

"I'm off. The Net Police will be here in 2 minutes' time. Your own boat is at the bottom of the sea by now. There's no escaping them and you will spend the rest of your miserable days in jail, you Demon!"

The "DC" ignited and Vadous was warped out of the room: several sets of footsteps could be heard and, suddenly, some grenades were dropped inside of the room while forming a white smoke: Wily coughed and looked confused.

"T-tear gas…!"

"Nobody move!"

A SWAT Team charged inside and quickly circled around the desk to then apprehend Wily and handcuff him.

"Dr. Wily! You're under arrest for several crimes as well as three attempted murders on a Net Savior! Take him away!" The SWAT Team captain commanded.

"Take your hands off me, grunts!" Wily growled.

The SWAT Team played deaf and dragged him outta the room while another group of policemen came in.

"Informatics Brigade: begin all HDD data copy to then bring it for analysis! Make sure to photograph everything!"

"Roger, sir!"

"Technology Brigade: examine all devices in a superficial manner to establish their purpose!"

"Roger, sir!"

"Move!"

"Roger, sir!"

13:27 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Netto – kun. Your PET is ringing."

"Oh. True. Hello?"

"It's me."

"Oh! Vadous – san!"

Netto picked the PET II and patched the call in.

"Good news: I just confirmed Wily has been caught by the SWAT Team and is on his way to the mainland: he'll be placed in preventive prison while a team will check out all data and machines on his home base to establish their purpose." Vadous reported.

"Good! Then the crisis is over." Netto smiled.

"Finally…!" Saito looked relieved.

"Well done, Vadous – san." Yuuichirou told him.

"Ah… Thank you very much, sir. Of course, the security agents will still be around: I do not trust some fanatics out there to try something similar again: but we have some agents who are expert at identifying them: they could report them to the police." Vadous detailed.

"We appreciate all the efforts you make, but please do not try to overwork. You need a break from time to time, after all." Haruka advised him.

"Thank you very much, ma'am. Well then… Goodbye."

Netto pocketed the PET II and the atmosphere seemed to improve all of a sudden: the earlier air of defeatism was gone.

"Well… I guess I'll have to work hard at school!" Netto commented.

"I'll pull your ears if you don't do the homework, Netto – kun."

"Jeez."

Saito and his parents laughed while Netto shrugged and smiled…

08:05 AM (Japan Time), Sunday September the 9th…

"… Phew!"

Rock Man came out of the Official Square and entered Densan Area again: he headed towards the south.

_Well! I got healed yesterday and I wanted to come back for a bit to the Cyber World so as to not to get rusted. Netto – kun is ready to back me up, but, given my experience, the Viruses here are no big deal by now… I don't have the "SSS" License in vain, you know! _

Rock Man whistled a tune and kept on heading back when he spotted a distinct Navi leaning against a column for some spotlights: he lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

_A newcomer?_

This Navi was about two meters tall and was colored jet black: a red spheroid could be seen set on his chest area and it seemed to be missing the armor over its mass.

His face had two red eyes and one shone brighter than the other: two horns, one of which was almost erased, were set on both sides of his head and added a "demonic" look to him.

Green data flows moved around his body and he held a massive black and green sword in his right hand which he was currently aiming at the floor in lazy manner.

Overall, he seemed to be tall and imposing.

His pose, leaning against the side of a forum board, suggested he was resting or sleeping.

_Let's leave him to sleep and go on… _

Rock Man began to continue his walk when he heard the Navi mumble something and grumble: Rock Man turned around and walked over to him while looking slightly nervous.

"Eh… Excuse me! Are you alright, sir?"

"…NO FAIR, BLOOD! I CAN BEAT THAT SCORE OF YOURS WITHOUT USING YOUR ACURSED "DARK TSUNAMI"! COME AT FULL POWER!" The Navi suddenly assumed a fighting pose and brandished his gigantic sword while roaring.

Rock Man had to cover his ear pads from the yell to avoid getting his noise recognition systems being damaged.

_Whoa! He sure is loud. Let's get back…_

"Oi! Cha! Cha are Rock Man, right?" The Navi suddenly asked.

"Y-yes, sir… Did I… bother you, sir?"

"What? No. I just happened to fall asleep in the middle of my off-duty time… I'm Sigma! I work for Mr. Vadous, ya know!"

"Whoa! So you're one of his three Net Navis, sir?"

"Yeah! My _aibou_ is named Blood Shadow but I name him "Blood" for short: he's currently in an assignment at Ameroupe for a while so he'll take some time to show up 'round 'ere." Sigma explained.

"So… You did get to find Forte, sir?" Rock Man asked.

"Not really… Every time we thought we'd found him it'd turn out to be one of several Bug Fusion copies which managed to escape and spread before the whole server group ended up destroyed. You could tell them apart due to their low power, lack of personality file and absence of Forte's trademark "Dream Aura" ability which protects him from most of the damage…" Sigma detailed.

"I see… The Reverse Internet sure is a hard place to scout."

"Yeah… And to think it was a Science Labs project…"

"What? Such a vile place was built by the Science Labs?"

"Didn't Boss tell you guys about "Proto"? Well, Hikari Tadashi – hakase tried to use that "Giga Freeze" Program to stop it but the idea was discarded. Once it was over… Someone suggested building a wholly self-contained sector of the Internet to hide that program."

"Wow."

"And thus it became the Reverse Internet! The bad guys used it given its difficult accessibility and remoteness. However… There's a command structure down there: the ranked Navis and "S"…"

"… "S"…?"

"Yeah. Serenade: Reverse King."

"Whoa. Reverse King…"

"There are 10 "Ranked" Navis there which are part of a system set in place just in case Proto were to awaken again… Only one strong enough to climb all the way to Rank #2 could be told the location of Serenade: he'd then grant the "Giga Freeze" to the Navi who makes it so far. Serenade himself lives in the "Secret Area", only accessible through the real-world Reverse Internet Server Room… Thus adding another level of security to it. Serenade is no joke, mind you. He could calmly sweep the floor with all the grunts standing on it without even blinking twice. But he has a gentle nature, which makes him be reluctant of battling." Sigma explained to him in a hushed tone.

"Whoa." Netto muttered.

"Yo! Ya are Hikari Netto, right? Nice to meet ya!" Sigma called out.

"Y-yeah. You look powerful, too." Netto admitted.

"Guess so! I get jumpy in battle. Sometimes the mere sight of me in a low-lightened space such as the Reverse Internet is enough to set villains in fear and running for their fake 30.5 Zenny coins." Sigma laughed.

"30.5 Zenny coins…! That's so original…!" Netto laughed at it.

"Oh! Yeah. We're the "Subspace": Boss is our leader but there are other members, too. I guess he'll eventually introduce you guys to them: they're nice guys, too." Sigma let out.

"The "Subspace"… Cool!" Netto grinned.

"Ain't it, _aibou_?"

"Guess so…" Rock Man muttered.

"O. K.! Gotta get back to work… I've got some mice to catch. Don't be surprised to meet me around here: I'm assigned to work here, in Japan, after all! See ya guys around!" Sigma blinked them an eye.

"Goodbye, sir." Rock Man replied.

"See ya!" Netto grinned.

He ran into one of the Warp Square's Warp Points and warped out of the area: Rock Man then continued walking until he spotted the Warp Point into his computer: he stepped into it and stood in front of the firewall as it scanned him.

"Program ID: Rock Man EXE. Port: 80. Size: 788 MB. Public IP Address: 115 16 79 201… ID confirmed. Opening Port 80." An auto-voice announced.

A door labeled "TCP/IP" unlocked so Rock Man stepped into a small nexus and picked the Warp Point labeled "Netto's PC": he stepped into it and then headed for a third Warp Point: he returned inside of the PET II.

"Netto – kun! Help me return to my new body, please."

Netto picked the PET II and headed for Saito's body (clad in navy blue pajamas and being face-up on the _futon_): he crouched next to it and opened the right eye while aiming the PET II's IR port at it.

"Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

The eye closed and, after a few seconds, Saito began to mumble and stir before slowly sitting up and looking at his hands.

"Guess this system to Plug-In is fine… In the case of an emergency, I can always use a secure Wi-Fi connection like I did the first time I used the body." He muttered.

"Yeah. 6th grade kicks off tomorrow! Excitement ensured, Saito – niisan!"

"And ear-pulling too. Heh, heh, heh." Saito giggled.

"Heh, heh, heh! Well! Let's go for it! _Ready… Go_!"


	9. Chapter 9: Dark Chips

**Chapter 9: Dark Chips**

08:13 AM (Japan Time), Tuesday December the 25th…

"… Yo! Sleepyhead! Wake up!"

"Hmmm… Five more minutes, Rock Man…"

"First: I'm not Rock Man. Second: it's Christmas Day!"

"Crap!"

Netto quickly sat up on his bed and spotted Saito looming over him: he was dressed in his navy blue pajamas.

"Come on! Papa and Mama are waiting for you!" Saito told him.

"I'm coming!" Netto smiled.

He climbed out of the bed and put on his slippers as well before he and Saito climbed downstairs and until the end of the stairs: Yuuichirou and Haruka were standing in front of the living room door.

"Papa! Mama! Good morning!" Netto greeted.

"Good morning, dear." Haruka greeted.

"Are you ready?" Yuuichirou asked.

"I'm always ready." Saito eagerly replied.

"Let's go in!"

Yuuichirou opened the door and everyone rushed in: they found the living room being filled with Christmas decorations, the tree and lots of present boxes with labels scattered around it.

"Yay! Santa Claus came!" Netto exclaimed.

"He sure did!" Saito looked around, fascinated.

"Let's start opening boxes… Saito! Will you do the honors?" Yuuichirou offered.

Saito looked around the pile and found a small package with a label:

"To Saito – kun from Vadous."

"Oh! It's a shortened version of 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde!'" Saito exclaimed.

"Whoa! It's in the original English, even!" Netto whistled in surprise.

He quickly began to look around and spotted a small case-like package.

'To Netto – kun from Vadous.'

Grinning, he picked it up and ripped it open to find a Giga – Class Battle Chip inside of it: the "Gospel" beast was drawn on it and it was shooting out red fire: there was an adjacent note.

"Ah! It's an explanation… "Merry Christmas, Netto – kun. I know you love Net Battles, so I thought of something special… These Chips were designed by Obihiro – kun but he never got to use them. He told me he didn't desire them anymore, so he handed the four varieties of it to me. This one is designed to be Fire – Elemental and is very effective against Wood – Elemental Viruses and Net Navis. Do try not to show it off around, please. It's for very special cases. Yours humbly, Vadous"… Wow! He hit the mark when he thought I'd love this!" Netto read the note and then let out a whistle of admiration.

"Oho! I got a package from Vadous – san…" Haruka muttered.

She opened it and found a blue silk scarf plus a small note:

"For the honorable Haruka – san from a hunble colleague. Yours humbly, Vadous."

"My! What a gentleman!" She giggled.

"Oh! I got one, too… Let's see…" Yuuichirou muttered.

He carefully opened it and found two brown cotton gloves inside with a note:

"Hikari – hakase. There are times in which interacting with the family is more important than any project. Yours humbly, Vadous."

"He's totally right on the mark… That's my greatest flaw."

"This Christmas will be one to remember…" Saito sounded emotional.

"It'll sure be." Netto patted him on the back.

"I'll start preparing the breakfast." Haruka announced.

"I'll help you, Haruka. It's Christmas. I don't want you to have the burden upon you." Yuuichirou announced.

"Thank you, dear!" Haruka giggled.

"We'll help, too!" The twins exclaimed.

"Let's see… I'll have some cereals with milk: I don't feel like eating a big breakfast since we have the lunch." Yuuichirou decided.

"I have enough with a mini-sandwich." Saito decided.

"Guess I'll have four or five cookies…"

"An apple is good to start the day." Haruka giggled.

They prepared their breakfasts and sat down on around the table.

"_Itadakimasu_!"

They calmly ate their breakfasts and then cleansed everything up.

"So… Surprisingly, I scored over 7 in almost everything this first trimester and only got a 6 in Math… Guess it'll always chase me. But your insistence for these four months paid off, niisan." Netto commented.

"Sure. I got 7s and one or two 8s, too, but I didn't pretend to be totally "outstanding": it wouldn't be fair." Saito grinned.

"Man. How many times did you have to chase me to ear-pull me, anyway? I've lost count of them."

"37: and it always was one per day. So… You gotta improve on getting to work when the time for it comes." Saito grinned.

"True, true!" Yuuichirou and Haruka added.

Netto rolled his eyes while the other three laughed in a jovial tone…

21:13 PM (Japan Time), Thursday December the 27th…

"… Well… The factory is working fine, it'd seem. Yet… Something is still picking me… Like I was being monitored… But I didn't find any devices around the factory, either…"

A man was sitting on a revolving leather armchair colored black: he seemed to be on his thirties or close to his forties.

He had jet black hair and some of it ran down the sides of his head in two irregular strings while the rest grew until almost the base of the neck: he had some traces of a beard on his face too.

His right eye was blue while his left eye had a monocle with a purple rim set over it: the monocle's rim included an arrow pointing towards the left.

He wore a custom-looking dress consisting of an overall bright brown wool-like jumper with a grayish/brownish neck.

A purple sweater was set beneath it: it had four small squares set on a row.

He also sported wool-like purple-colored pants.

A pattern formed on the jumper's neck: a thick stripe run down the jumper before it divided into two curved stripes which formed a circle and then reunited into one: this process was repeated thrice.

Two incomplete circles were set near the wrists and the wrists had a rim of the same color which formed a curved-shape piece extending into the top of the palm.

The man wore black leather-like gloves as well.

His chair was set inside of a control console linked to a large LCD screen built on the north wall of a metallic room which lacked illumination in several spots.

"… No. I'm just being paranoid. Yet… I'm surprised Father went to such extremes. There's no point in murder, really. I'm glad I could ditch the Z – Nation years ago and become an independent researcher…"

He stretched and then focused again.

"My tactics are subtler than those of Father: I don't believe in brute force. I'm concerned, though, that Colonel Barrel did warn me not to try anything funny… He must have an idea of the Net Police's scope and reach, obviously enough… Yet…" The man muttered.

He brought the right hand to his chin and looked concerned.

"… The way all defense lines were collapsed _before_ the actual SWAT Team got there is picking on me! Almost like _another party_ sought to make work easier to the Net Police… There's a plot here. Anyway… My new "Dark Chips" are slowly spreading out of the Reverse Internet and into the general market: people will soon fall for the rumors and propaganda I scattered about them and buy them to use them… I will slowly and subtly assemble my own "Dark Army" to overrun the Net Police and the Official Net Battlers… Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius, or so I say myself." The man began to form a smile.

"Is that so?" A voice rang out from behind him.

"Laser Man. Are you trying to dramatize?" The man asked.

"I am afraid your "Double" is busy with the factory." The voice replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Shade Man, then. Obviously." He shrugged.

"Dr. Regal. You were correct about suspecting another party's involvement in your father's defeat."

"Then tell me, Cosmo Man." He didn't bother to turn around and was unimpressed.

"Hitherto thou shall come but no further. Job 38:11."

"I didn't know you quoted the Bible, Laser Man."

"You requested my presence, Dr. Regal – sama?"

A Net Navi appeared onscreen: he looked close to two meters tall and his main body color was black.

He had a diamond-shaped head which had a small white slit surrounded by a purple rim.

A blue-colored vertical stripe crossed through it from the top and two more formed under the slit while the top of his head had a blue rectangle-like shape: each side of the head had a descending line which then branched into two and kept on running down both sides of his head.

He had two shirt-neck objects near the neck and a slightly curved stripe directly underneath the neck: another two vertical stripes were set on the sides.

Two slightly diagonal lines originated from the neck and ran until the knees.

A couple of lines shaped like ascending and descending triangles were set above and below his chest emblem.

The two main lines had two horizontal stripes set above and below the emblem connecting them: a thin and colorless vertical slit ran down the upper body through the middle of chest.

Another two diagonal thin lines marked the beginning of the shoulders from which two arms originated.

They had blue stripes running down its middle section from above and below before they formed a circle around the wrist.

Two black-colored gloved hands of five fingers each came out: each finger had two thin circular stripes above and below the middle section of them.

His main body ended in a slightly circular opening from which his two legs came out: they each had two vertical parallel stripes running down until the knee: each foot only had three fingers shaped like claw fingers and the rear part of each foot had a small ramp-like shape attached to it.

There was a triangle-shaped stripe set around the base of the fingers with another blue stripe around their base.

Two slightly curved extensions formed on his back slightly beneath the head: they had a general Alphabet U letter shape.

Each one had blue stripe running down its perimeter: these extensions ended into square openings: the insides of them were colored purple.

His chest emblem was a series of vertical stripes of several colors which stood for the light's specters: ultraviolet was set as the leftmost and it climbed up the scale until it reached the infrared.

Overall, the Navi looked powerful and imposing.

"What? You weren't using the speaker behind me?" Dr. Regal asked.

"No, sir."

"Then who is it, Laser Man?"

"... To be honest, sir... That person looks like an imitator of Darth Vader given the body armor..." Laser Man muttered.

"So! Finally catching up, eh?" The voice grumbled.

Dr. Regal gasped and slowly turned the revolving chair around to spot Vadous standing there with his arms folded.

"W-who in the...? How did you get inside...?" He demanded.

"My name is Vadous: I lead the "Subspace" and I am an advisor to the "Committee": I believe you heard plenty about them back when you lived in the Z – Nation." Vadous announced.

"The "Committee"...! No matter what we did their agents always escaped at the very last instant and we were left empty-handed...!" Dr. Regal gasped as he stood up.

"I have come to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Correct. If you try to directly or indirectly attack the Net Saviors, then... The Net Police's SWAT Team will be paying a courtesy visit here. Am I clear enough?" Vadous told him.

"You're threatening me?" Dr. Regal looked annoyed and a grimace was drawn across his face.

"He who warns a traitor is not."

"Che."

"So?"

"Whatever!"

"I can call them right now, mind you. I have an email for Commissioner Kifune sitting idle in my outbox full of evidence. They could be here in less than 1 hour's time and I have plenty of methods to stall for time, too. So? What will it be?" Vadous asked.

"Grjftx! I will not involve the Net Saviors! So go back at your own abode!"

"It would seem your manners get 0 in scoring, then. Good. I'm off. But don't think you are "overwhelmingly" powerful: that led to the fall of a lot of people. Good evening." Vadous replied.

The Dimensional Converter emerged from the ground and it warped Vadous out of the room: Dr. Regal snarled something under his breath.

"Dr. Regal – sama? Is something the matter?"

"Shade Man, huh... I have a mission for you." Dr. Regal addressed the newcomer.

"Command me."

This Net Navi had a vampire-like design and seemed to be over a meter and ninety in height.

His main body color was purple and navy blue: he had an upper body colored purple which ended half-way around the torso: the rest of the body was colored navy blue.

His head was set inside of a neck-like formation with fangs protruding from their upper edge while pointing forward.

The interior of it was partly colored blood red: he had a cone-like object at the lower edge of his chin: the outer edge of the head was colored purple and two golden-colored bat-like ears formed at the sides of it.

His eyes' irises were red and looked menacing: he had a moustache-like pattern below his nose which was interrupted in the middle of it. The pattern left two straight lines aiming SW and SE: his mouth had fangs.

His arms had a pattern resembling the Alphabet "F" character mirrored drawn on his forearms: his hands were claws, too, and had four claw-fingers on them colored pale white.

The upper body had two small round holes with a golden rim set to the edges of the torso and beneath the shoulders: two slightly curved golden-colored pieces were set above each shoulder while a small square piece was set at the base of the neck: it was colored black and had three vertical stripes drawn into it.

His round emblem was colored golden and had five pyramidal-like buttons emerging from its rim and aiming South, NW, NE, SW and SE: two golden lines formed at the sides of it and marked the border between the upper body and the rest of the body.

The drawing inside was two curved halves aiming for each other colored purple plus a small peak-like object on the middle of it: the space between the three drawings was painted in blood red color.

His feet had three large finger-claws colored white: each of his legs had two white triangle-shaped patterns aiming upwards set around the knee.

"I'm concerned about how no normal Net Navis display effects from our "Dark Chips" yet: try to retrieve one and bring it to me ASAP."

"Please leave it to me. Heh, heh, heh..." He chuckled.

"Laser Man! Supervise Nebula Grey's status: I'm starting to think something is wrong with it, even."

Dr. Regal kept on looking ill-humored: he tapped both armrests.

"Who the hell was that man? I've known of the "Committee" for years and I know they're no joke! But I _will_ find out what's so important about those Net Saviors... Maybe Cloud Man and Shade Man will be enough! Che!"

He suddenly kicked the armchair into the ground in a fit of rage...

09:09 AM (Japan Time), Friday December the 28th…

"… Ta-ta-ran-dan-tan… It rhymes!"

Rock Man entered the Official Square and headed for the Message Board sector: he spotted a custom Navi coming out of it and lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

_Wow. He looks cool!_

This Navi appealed as being close to a meter and sixty tall: his main color of choice was red.

He sported black shades and a flock of messy reddish hair came out from behind the helmet given how it only covered the face and the front of the head: his ear-pads had two purple "V" letters drawn inside of them.

His armor had the purple letters "BS" engraved on the chest area while his legs were colored black and had two red stripes running down the legs' sides in a parallel manner.

His right forearm was covered by a device colored red coupled with a piece of it which was colored transparent red: a small indentation near the wrist had the same "BS" initials engraved there: and, where the hand would be, a large double-barreled shotgun emerged instead.

"Oh? My! You're Hikari Saito – kun, aren't you?" The Navi looked up and greeted him.

"H-how do you...?" Rock Man asked in a whisper.

"Ops. Sorry. I'm Blood Shadow! Maybe my companion Sigma told you about me? I work for Mr. Vadous, too!" He introduced himself.

"Oh! I remember. I thought you were stationed in Ameroupe."

"I was! But Boss decided I'd done a well enough job and relocated me here yesterday: I was trying to catch up there but I couldn't avoid the intrigued looks of a certain Miss you know about..." Blood Shadow whispered in an amused tone.

"Hiya~! Rock! What's up?" Roll greeted as she came out.

"Good morning, Roll – chan. I just met this Navi and it'd seem you were teasing him." Rock Man replied.

"Maybe~!" She giggled.

"You can go and just use "kimi" on me. I'm programmed to physically and mentally have the same age as you two, so..." Blood Shadow offered.

"Sure. That shotgun must be terrific at close-quarters." Rock Man commented with a smile.

"Yeah. The baddies always fall for my taunts and they come at me: my shotgun then leaves them at 5 HP and unable to fight back." Blood Shadow made a giggle-like sound.

"Well... Meiru – chan is waiting for me, so... _See you, handsome_." She blinked Blood an eye.

He gulped and began to look nervous as Roll giggled and headed out of the Official Square.

"I'd say she's set her marks on you, Blood." Rock Man teased.

"Please..." He sounded nervous.

"Yo! So you're Blood? I heard the earlier talk: you must make a terrific tag-combo with Sigma's high-power attacks!" Netto greeted.

"Thanks, Hikari – kun. Truth is... I'm the youngest member of the crew but I generally don't mind it: sometimes Sigma needs to be told not to beat our training drones to a pulp. You know, like those small floating spheres in _Star Wars_ but larger..." Blood Shadow admitted.

"I can guess he forgets about the environment altogether." Rock Man lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"He sure does! Our Commander is always scolding him and is running out of patience: only Boss seems to be able to snap him outta it when he yells at him through the HQ's PA system." Blood Shadow giggled.

"Sigma told us it's a gigantic spacecraft in orbit... Is that true? It sounds so cool!" Netto asked him.

"Yeah. Correct. But please keep it secret, will ya? We don't want anyone else to get a hold of it..."

"Blood. There you are." A voice rang out.

A new Net Navi walked in.

This Navi struck as being over one meter and eighty tall.

A blue jewel shaped like an inverted triangle was set on the forehead of his helmet which was emitting a cross-shaped flash.

His eyes' irises were blue and they displayed calm and concentration while long blond hair came out from behind him and reached all the way to the floor.

He had a red vest over his mainly black body and red armor over his forearms and boots: two golden circlets were set around his forearms and on his boots as well.

… _Weird. I feel like I know him from somewhere…_ Saito suddenly frowned and looked thoughtful.

"Oh! Saito – kun. We meet again. It's been a while!"

"Huh? Excuse me, but… Where was our first encounter, sir? I cannot seem to recall it…" Rock Man frowned.

"Kotobuki Town."

"Oh! So you were the one who appeared inside of my PET before I lost consciousness, then…"

"He is Sir Omega: our field Commander!" Blood announced.

"Ya are Omega, then. Are you the "strongest" Navi Vadous – san talked about?" Netto asked.

"Yeah. I specialize at both sword and gun attacks. But my trick is in tying several combos together: they wipe out any enemy who tries to challenge or attack me in the blink of an eye. I was working in Sharo Nation until now, so this is why you didn't spot me." Omega explained.

"Whoa. You three must be more feared than an Official Raid in the Reverse Square…" Rock Man muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh. You may call us the _Three Musketeers_ of the 21st century as well."

"Hah, hah, hah! You cannot be serious! The _Three Musketeers_ of the 21st century… It sounds so weird… No offense intended…" Rock Man began to laugh.

"Sir Omega… That title is way too much." Blood sounded exasperated.

"Blame it to Boss and his weird sense of humor." Omega shrugged.

"That title sounds cool!" Netto grinned.

"By the way… Do you know a vampire-like Net Navi? I saw him discussing with a mean-looking Navi and he then took some Battle Chip Data from him…" Rock Man asked.

"That guy is a "Darkloid" who works for the "Dark Chip Syndicate": the organization known as "Nebula"." Omega replied.

"… "Darkloid"…?" Both frowned.

"These "Dark Chips" carry a program which can corrupt the Navi who uses them to become "Dark" and "Evil": they grant him more power but at the cost of his soul: the more Dark Chips he uses, the higher the chances that he will end up disobeying the Operator and getting hired by Nebula."

"Scary~!" Netto gasped.

"Yeah. But Boss knew about those: so he actually has sabotaged their production to make them harmless. "Darkloid" is a term coined by Nebula to refer to data living beings whose bodies contain this "Dark Power" on them in large quantities thus making Dark Chips beneficial to them. We know about 6 of them. The boss is them is Wily's son… But we rather think it's a foster son to begin with…"

"Whoa! Wily had a son?" Saito was surprised.

"Yikes. Let's hope he doesn't come for us next."

09:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… I shall not offer any excuses, yet… Almost all of them had been confiscated and destroyed. I could luckily find one and had to take the data from the owner by force."

"Che. That man has been toying with me, then!"

Dr. Regal looked rather annoyed once Shade Man returned and opened his right hand to let a strange Chip float out: it was colored purple and gray and it had an orange-colored dome on the center of it: a purple carcass was set around it and six short straight lines extended from each side towards the center of it.

"Computer! Begin analysis!" Dr. Regal commanded.

"Roger… No "Dark Power" Data contained in "Dark Chip": current Chip's effects trigger string data with the following content: "Thank you for helping finance Nebula's great campaign. Enjoy fooling around and know that you were weak to begin with. Have a very Nebula-like day and don't forget to wash your teeth every night. Yours silly, Nebula." … Contents end here. Total size: 2.044 Bytes." The computer listed.

"DAMN THEM!" Dr. Regal roared as he brought his fists down into the console.

The two "Darkloids" stepped back while seemingly fear consequences for what had transcended.

"Shade Man! Call Cloud Man! Go and bring me the following files out of the Net Police Database adjacent to the Official Square…! Go there ASAP and bring me the data ASAP!" Dr. Regal ordered as he inputted something through the keyboard.

"R-roger. I shall be going…!" Shade Man gulped.

He flew out while Laser Man saluted like he was waiting for some punishment: Dr. Regal ignored him and even kicked the revolving chair into the ground.

"DAMN THEM!" He roared again.

09:27 AM (Japan Time)…

"… By the way… Do you know what became of Air Man's Operator? I didn't hear if he'd been arrested…"

"Oh. Arashi Takefushi, you mean?"

"We didn't know his name, though…"

Netto and Rock Man were still talking with Omega and Blood Shadow in a corner of the Official Square.

"There was a bomb in the Metroline station hid inside of a suitcase: it was detonated and Arashi was gravely injured in the explosion: but he survived somehow and was then arrested when we leaked his name. Given how you guys exposed Hayami and Magnets, there was no need for us to leak the names out." Omega explained.

"Oh. I see." Rock Man muttered.

There was a sudden explosion sound and smoke began to form coming from the NNW.

"Crap. The Net Police Database…!" Rock Man muttered.

"Nebula." Netto guessed.

"Yeah. Let's go tell them they're fired." Omega muttered.

"Roger, sir!" Blood Shadow saluted.

"OK!"

They rushed over there and found the firewall to have been broken through: it looked like it'd been assaulted in a violent manner without caring to conceal it.

"They're in a rush, then." Omega deduced.

"Maybe they're looking for info on Boss?"

"Could be, yeah… Regal must be pretty pissed off at the message he left inside of the fake Dark Chips." Omega replied.

"Look!" Rock Man gasped.

They spotted Shade Man along with another "Darkloid" working on something inside of the one of the database modules.

This Navi's lower body was a grayish cloud and he had no legs: his upper body had a mix of magenta and orange coloring.

His head had an orange helmet with the Alphabet letter "U" set on its forehead plus a spike having a small gray cloud over it.

The helmet created a shade-like effect around his eyes, the irises of which were blood red as well: the rest of his face was gray in color.

His shoulders and forearms were colored orange while the skin was black while a magenta ring was set slightly above each wrist, too and to small wing-like objects with three indentations on it and colored white emerged from the sides of his shoulders.

An arrow-like object was set over the hand and the forearms: its border was colored white.

His torso had three white stripes below the chest which only occupied about the center section of it: his emblem was set slightly beneath them and it depicted a single cloud set against a blackish background and having a white rim.

He had an open vest-like drawing over the sides of his torso which began above the shoulders and reached past the lower torso where his emblem was at: the vest's border was colored in a goldenrod color.

Each side also had a cloud-shaped drawing slightly above where the three stripes began at: two button drawings were set on his body.

"That guy is Cloud Man: Electrical – Attribute." Blood Shadow whispered.

"You lowlifes. Wanna piss off the Dark Messiah?" Omega challenged as he stepped forward and drew a energy sword colored pale green.

"Uh-oh! It's Rock Man and some of those weird Net Navis! What do we do, Shade?" Cloud Man asked as he glanced at Shade Man.

"We got what we wanted. Scram!" Shade Man commanded.

The three of them examined the damage after the two enemies had scrambled: the directory containing all the files of people whose surname started with the "H" letter had been broken in.

"Heck."

Rock Man walked in and scrolled down the list until he found two files missing entirely: he compared the ones above it and realized which ones they were.

"Can you tell us what was stolen, Saito - kun?" Omega asked him.

"… Our files were stolen. See… There's Grandpa's, Papa's and Mama's, but ours are missing and then list jumps to another family. And my file as a Navi is included inside of Netto – kun's file." Rock Man pointed out.

"_That guy_ must have some guts to challenge us after Boss personally warned him to not to involve the Net Saviors." Omega grumbled.

"It'd seem your message, whatever it was, sure pissed him off." Rock Man guessed.

"Obviously… Boss wanted to provoke him like he did with Wily, so he obviously went for that approach. Here: have a look." Blood Shadow sighed.

He handed a data file to Rock Man: both he and Netto lifted their eyebrows upon reading the message.

"It sure is provocative." Netto muttered.

"Those guys must wanna start a new conflict, I'd say." Rock Man muttered next.

"The _Sengoku V2_, even." Omega fumed.

"Sitting idle won't do well: get back home and we'll arrange to hit Regal's hideout with the Net Police. He's asked for us to come after him, anyway!"

_Oh heck. And now these guys want to start up a war? Jeez. What bad luck!_


	10. Chapter 10: Dark Soul Rock Man

**Chapter 10: Dark Soul Rock Man**

09:44 AM (Japan Time), Friday December the 28th…

"… Hrum…!"

Dr. Regal was sitting on his chair while drinking a cup of black tea as if to shake the earlier mood off him: he finished drinking and deposited the cup atop the console just as Cloud Man and Shade Man appeared onscreen and bowed.

"Well?" He asked.

"Success. We ran into Rock Man and some other Navis but we managed to escape unscratched." Cloud Man reported.

"Excellent. Download the files into the mainframe."

A download bar appeared onscreen and soon pinged upon reaching 100%: two files showed up.

"Hmmm… So the files are these… Hikari Netto & Rock Man EXE… Hikari Saito & Coyed EXE… Hikari has a brother, then? Let's look…"

He opened Saito's file and it displayed a passport photo of him plus some data.

"Date of birth: June the 9th, 1997… Blood type: B. Height: 1' 58"… Eye color: emerald. Nationality: Japanese. Family: Hikari Netto (younger twin brother), Hikari Yuuichirou (father), Hikari Haruka (mother) and Hikari Tadashi (father's branch grandfather/deceased)… Hmmm… Next is… Net Navi: Coyed EXE… ONBA License: A License. Current occupation: Akihara City's Elementary School Student: Class 6 – A… Residence: Akihara City's 2nd District, Sunrise Road, 04. ZIP Code: 09941. Prefecture: Tokyo Prefecture… Observations: was interned in Seaside Hospital during the period spanning years 2003~2009 diagnosed of rare genetic heart disease HBD… Fine." He read aloud.

He typed into the keyboard and brought another file onscreen: it displayed a normal model Net Navi colored orange and green which didn't have anything outstanding.

"Coyed EXE… Registered on 05/09/2009… Max HP: 330 HP. Special Abilities: None. Fine."

He then brought Netto's file up and began to read it as he articulated his fingers.

"Date of birth: June the 9th, 1997… Blood type: B. Height: 1' 56"… Eye color: brown. Nationality: Japanese. Family: Hikari Saito (elder twin brother), Hikari Yuuichirou (father), Hikari Haruka (mother) and Hikari Tadashi (father's branch grandfather/deceased)… Net Navi: Rock Man EXE… That's the man… ONBA License: SSS License… Current occupation: Akihara City's Elementary School Student: Class 6 – A… Residence: Akihara City's 2nd District, Sunrise Road, 04. ZIP Code: 09941. Prefecture: Tokyo Prefecture… Observations: nominated Net Savior on 24/08/2009 at the personal suggestion of Net Police Commissioner Kifune. Responsible for the defeats of the WWW, the "Professor" and Gospel. Wait. He wasn't involved in Father's latest defeat? Hmmm…"

He looked slightly suspicious but he brought up the next file displaying Rock Man.

"Rock Man EXE… Registered on 11/03/2009… Max HP: 1100. Special Abilities: Cross Fusion. "Size does not matter", huh?" Dr. Regal muttered with a hint of irony.

He tapped both armrests and seemed to be thinking of something.

"… Hmpf. Let's show them how I can come up with an intelligent plan out of the blue. Cosmo Man's idea of spreading Nebula Grey's power as an X – Ray spectrum program of small size which then slowly expands on the deepest points of a Net Navi's frame is a good one: it would make for a fine backup plan. I'm going to force them into negotiating. Hikari Saito doesn't seem to be a Net Savior: security will be lower around him! So I can catch him and use him as bargain chip. Shade Man!"

"Command me."

"Stalk that Hikari Saito kid and try to find out if there is a moment when he is alone…"

"What should I do, sir?"

"If he is then use a "Dimensional Converter" to materialize and catch him to bring him here _unharmed_."

"You may leave it to a humble servant like me, Dr. Regal – sama." Shade Man announced as he laughed in his creepy way and departed the mainframe.

"Dr. Regal – sama?" Laser Man called out.

"What?"

"Have a look again at Hikari Saito's Navi name, please. Notice how curious it is that it's written in English instead of _Katakana_."

"Coyed… I agree it's a funny name, but children nowadays… And I don't see what's so important about it being written in English instead of _Katakana_." He shrugged.

"Try to rearrange the English letters." Laser Man suggested.

"Huh? Hum… C-O-Y-E-D… C – E – D – O – Y… D – E – C – O – Y… _Decoy_!"

"Rather clever, isn't it?" Laser Man chuckled.

"Decoy… An English word play…? That's why they wrote in English to see if someone would notice it?"

"It's possible. I'm not sure either…"

"Dr. Regal – sama: I have an update." Someone reported.

"Ah. Cosmo Man."

Cosmo Man appeared to be close to two meters tall and he had a commanding look to him.

His eyes were simply black and surrounded by skin while his nose and mouth were covered by a thin layer of golden armor.

Four lines converged on his forehead where a small diamond was set: the head's upper portion was exposed and it had the typical black "skin".

Most of his upper torso was encompassed by golden-colored armor which also covered the shoulders: it ended around the chest where the emblem was set at: it was a blue star drawn against a pitch black background.

The design of the armor included two thick white lines emerging NW and NE from his emblem and curving as they ran parallel to the neck and past the shoulders.

Another set of two thin blue lines formed from the east and west sides of the emblem and climbed upwards thus diving the armor into two uneven portions: the lower portion was shorter while the upper one was larger.

The armor also covered both sides of the neck and continued above the head where it expanded into two ear-like extensions having blue round dome-like pads.

The arms had a blue ring around the elbow and they were complemented by fin-shaped extensions aiming upwards towards the shoulders: a pale blue transparent ring was also set atop each wrist and the wrists had blue armor covering them: the fingers had armor over them.

Two thick white lines extended from above the end of those diamonds and travelled towards the lower torso area until they met an oval-shaped object with a brown edge and metallic interior: two small rectangles were drawn on the north and south edges, too.

Another two thick lines came out from the NW and NE edges and met the chest emblem by connecting the SW and SE edges, too.

A large blue transparent ring was set around his body in a 45º angle and aiming to the SE: it spanned from the right shoulder until the left forearm.

The plain black-skinned feet (the fingers of which couldn't be seen) had blue armor on their ankles as well and a golden-colored diamond-like object set slightly above the ankle: this object had a blue-colored triangle-like pattern aiming upwards set above of the spot where they began at.

"The "Program" is spreading fine. You are a genius, sir. Heh, heh, heh!"

"I knew it. Hmpf. They'll regret making a fool out of ME! Hah, hah, hah!"

09:57 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff. I better sit down to think."

Saito sat down on one bench in the playground which was mostly covered in snow.

He sported jeans, his white t-shirt and the blue sleeveless vest over it as well as a brown raincoat sans hood and white sneakers: he also had put brown cotton gloves on plus a brown scarf.

"Ah… It felt good going out for some minutes and stretch… It felt way too hot inside of home. It's 8 Celsius out here but I don't mind it: I'll be back at home in a breeze, anyway." He muttered.

He then sighed and looked at the playground for a while before stretching and getting a worried face.

_Netto – kun… These 4 months have been splendid. I now feel like I'd never left this world. But I belong to the Cyber World, too. Yet… Roll – chan seems to be waiting for me to make a move, but… I don't feel like committing to anything yet. I want us to keep on being friends, obviously enough, but I don't feel like playing "couple"… We're young, after all! Maybe if we give it some time, then we could come to a decision. Yet… For a long time, I… There's been someone else who's made my heart beat every time I saw him… And that's Netto – kun. His voice, his face, his everything… They're _perfect_ to me… Silly Saito. What are you thinking about? I feel attracted to my own brother? _

He made an uneasy giggle but shake off his earlier mood: he also didn't spot a "Dimensional Converter" emerging behind him.

_Could it be…? Maybe it's not a crazy idea, after all… But… Does Netto – kun feel the same? Or will he see me as a "weird" boy? Maybe I should talk it with Papa? He always helped me when I had doubts… I'm not sure: he may have a negative reaction to it, too… What should I do, then? I'm stuck! And I don't want to say "no" to Roll – chan, either!_

The "DC" ignited and a white shaft of light formed on his feet: before he could react he was warped away while the "DC" vanished…

10:28 AM (Japan Time)…

_Huh! What's this stench?_

Saito suddenly felt a strong stench close by and he slowly mumbled and grumbled as he tried to shake his dizziness off: he blinked several times and tried to move only to realize that his wrists were tied behind his back and that his torso was tied to a chair and so were his legs.

"Awake?" Someone asked.

Saito blinked several times and then was able to clarify his sight: Dr. Regal was standing in front of him.

_This man… Dr. Regal! Blood handed us a photo… Wily's son and leader of "Nebula"… Let's try playing the innocent, though…_

"… Who are you…? Where am I…?" Saito asked.

"My name is Dr. Regal: I control the "Nebula" organization. And you're my deterrent, Hikari Saito." He announced.

"Deterrent…?" He frowned.

"As long as you're my hostage… Then the Net Police won't dare to attack me or else you will suffer the consequences." Dr. Regal replied.

"It isn't my fault if the Net Police is after you!" Saito protested.

"I didn't say it was. But your brother is a Net Savior and he surely would've been sent to fight my "Darkloids". However! He won't dare to do anything given how I have this deterrent."

"And what about Ijuuin Enzan – kun? They say he's cold and efficient: I guess he won't doubt to come after you." Saito shot back.

"Hah. Even the Official's Ace Net Battler can't hope to defeat 6 all-powerful Darkloids on his own." Dr. Regal laughed.

"Crap."

"No tricks will work here: and I spotted the pun with your Navi's name, too. What does it mean?"

"What pun?"

"If you write "Coyed" in Alphabet letters and try to make a word out of the letters, you get "Decoy": distraction, dummy. Which means that that Navi is only there to hide something." Dr. Regal insisted.

_He spotted the pun… But since my "true colors" aren't recorded anywhere at all, then I have nothing to worry about._

"It was a pun intended for my classmates." He replied.

"Yet, all puns have a reason to them."

"That's because his battle strategy revolves around the use of the _Kawarimi_ Battle Chip: he likes coming up with "decoys" of its own to distract the opponent." Saito countered.

"Ah. So that's how it was."

"And do you really hope to evade a visit from the "Subspace" forever?"

"No. But I have a trump card."

"Me?"

"No. Something else."

"A weapon?"

"More or less."

"Those "Darkloids"?"

"No."

"… Wait. You intend to use me as bait to draw Netto – kun and steal Rock Man off him?" Saito suddenly guessed.

"Hmpf. Correct. But that's part of my "main" plan: the "backup" plan is totally different. And given how I've told him to come at the ruins of the WWW Base, then… He will soon be here. I'd like to see the face of petty defeat the Net Police will have once they lose their ace-in-the-hole. It will be rather enjoyable and today will mark my triumphal day."

At that moment, a white shaft of light formed on the middle of the room and Shade Man appeared while holding a knocked out Netto: he had a raincoat on as well.

"Netto – kun!" Saito gasped.

"Make him sit on that chair, Shade Man." Dr. Regal ordered.

"Roger."

Shade Man unceremoniously dropped Netto into the chair and picked his PET II while Dr. Regal quickly immobilized him and headed for the console after picking the PET II.

"Plug In."

The PET II beeped and Dr. Regal opened it to check it out: a grimace formed on his face.

"This damned PET II is empty!" He growled.

_Netto – kun! Oi! Netto – kun!_

_Huh…? Saito – niisan…?_

_Explanations later: Regal knows you don't have "Rock Man" in your PET II by now! _

_Don't worry: Vadous – san contacted me and told me there's a trap waiting for those Darkloids in the Science Labs…_

_Then tell him to look for "Rock Man" there!_

_I know._

Regal violently shook Netto's chair as if to wake him up and Netto acted the confused.

"Where is the _real_ Rock Man, Hikari Netto?" Regal questioned.

"S-Science Labs." Netto quickly replied.

"Shade Man! Cosmo Man! Cloud Man! Go and fetch me Rock Man: use this sleeping program. I want him _intact_. You get me?" He ordered.

"Roger, Dr. Regal – sama!"

The three "Darkloids" came out of the mainframe while Regal made a smug smile.

"Hmpf. So they want to laugh at me again! They will soon know it… The mightiness and the fright of the "Darkloids"! The new race of data living beings which shall rule the world…!" He exclaimed.

"… I don't think so… You have failed the entrance exam…" An amused voice rang out: it sounded similar to Sigma's.

Dr. Regal noticed a shiver going down his spine.

_He failed his entrance exam? Then, his "Dr." title is forged? _Netto mentally asked Saito.

_Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. I wonder who's here, though, and how they got here, wherever here is at._

_Let's hope it's one of the good guys._

_I'm sure it'll be. Let's see._

They all turned looked at the beginning of the stairs and spotted a man: he looked on his fifties.

He was wearing a brown hat with a black band around it: he was dressed in a brown suit complemented a blue tie.

He had blue eyes with two purple triangles painted both above and below them and he seemed to be bald.

"Who are you lowlife?" Regal demanded.

"… Heh. I'm called Mr. Professor… Head of the Analysis Department at the Committee…" The man introduced himself by taking off the hat and making a gallant bow.

"The "Committee", you say!" Regal growled.

"As for how I got in here… Let's just say that I offered some money to one of your grunts and he let me trough…"

"What useless grunts!" He snarled.

"They were puppets to begin with: it was easy!"

"This is as far as you come!" Regal hissed.

"I don't think so…" The man sounded more amused.

He suddenly threw a smoke grenade at the ground and the space filled with thick white smoke: they heard a noise and Mr. Denpa suddenly appeared on his spot: he kept on having the hood of his raincoat lowered thus hiding most of his face.

"I love the thrill of reloading in the midst of a battle… The Colt Single Action Army: the best gun ever made!" He announced.

"Whoa! Ocelot!" Both gasped.

"Sorry. "Ocelot" was an alter ego of mine. My name is Mr. Denpa, in case you hadn't been told. I am the 2nd authority in the "Committee", yet… Well... That can wait for another day... Dr. Regal. Consider yourself arrested." Mr. Denpa replied as he took a SAA Revolver out and aimed it at Regal.

"Wrong! Dimensional Area: Activate!"

Four "Dimensional Converters" came out and turned the space into a "Dimensional Area": Laser Man showed up on the spot and muttered something.

"Atta…!" Regal began.

"Come at full power! I'll beat you up!"

"Ya fell for it, Darkloids!"

"I'll teach you how terrible my true power is!"

"Uo~h! The guys from before, Shade!"

"I can see that, Cloud!"

"A trap, then!"

Regal and Laser Man looked at the monitor to see live feed from the Darkloids: the _Three Musketeers_ were waiting for him and looked ready to battle them: they sounded horrified.

"What!" Regal cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh. An eye for an eye, as they say." Mr. Denpa chuckled and sounded amused.

"Damn you! Kill him, Laser Man!"

"Hmmm!"

Laser Man shot a laser burst from his right hand's palm towards Mr. Denpa, but, to everyone's surprise, it got deflected into smaller bursts and they impacted on random points of the room.

"Impossible!" Regal growled.

"I never come unprepared: this is an EM shield capable of repelling bullets and laser. I'm just stalling for time." Mr. Denpa shrugged.

"Correct!" A voice rang out.

A fifth "Dimensional Converter" showed up from beneath the ground: it had a label with the purple "V" letter on it as if to tell it apart from Regal's ones: someone appeared on the room along with the shaft of white light.

"Who…?" Regal cursed.

The light dimmed to reveal a man sporting body armor similar to Vadous' but with obvious differences.

To begin with had no cloak and only carried one sword sheath attached to his belt: the armor looked newer and brighter than Vadous': the letter on the chest was the Alphabet letter "L" instead of the "V" letter.

"Who are you lowlife?" Regal hissed.

"Lartes. Second-in-command. Boss got a stress attack so I told him to rest for today and leave everything to me: he has the bad habit of spending too many nights sleeping too little." The man admitted.

_Wait a minute, niisan… Doesn't the name of that person ring a bell?_

_True… But I can't place it._

"Fine! I'll destroy you with my own hands! Laser Man! Return into my PET II!" Regal growled.

"Acknowledged."

Laser Man dematerialized while Regal rummaged into his left pants' pocket and took out something: the object looked like a "Synchro Chip" but it had a purple rim around the jewel, which was colored blood red: some "tendril"-like extensions originated from the rim which was covering the usual Hikari emblem: it looked like someone had tried to add a new layer over a normal "Synchro Chip" in a blunt manner.

"Dark Synchro Chip!" He announced.

"Damn. We suspected it…!" Lartes hissed.

"What's that supposed to do?" Netto asked.

"It cancels a Navi's will and consciousness to force them into "Cross Fusion" by the means of forcefully raising the "Synchro" levels…! The Operator feels effects from the "Dark Chip", too, and may be "corrupted": this kind of "Cross Fusion" can only be halted in one way: harming the chest emblem. It will bring heavy damage to both Navi and PET, but they can be repaired… In short: the Navi becomes nothing but a mere "body" to be used!" Lartes explained.

"Terrible!" Saito gasped.

"I shall let you experience its power! Dark Synchro Chip, Slot In! Cross Fusion! Hah, hah, hah, hah!" Regal formed a smug smile.

A purple sphere of energy formed and it expanded to cover his body: it soon died down to reveal his "Cross Fusio"n design, which didn't deviate much from Laser Man's own.

The patterns were drawn differently and his light spectrum signs were drawn on both sides of the shirt-neck-like formation.

The two tubes were now set slightly beneath the shoulders and the pattern drawn outside them was different as well.

He did look imposing and terrific, nevertheless.

"I shall destroy you lowlifes!" He exclaimed.

"I wonder about that." Lartes calmly shot back.

"Come! Blizzard Man!"

A new Darkloid materialized inside of the room: he didn't seem to be much taller than a meter and fifty.

His eyes' irises were red as well and he had two red ear pads: a ski cap was being worn atop his head and it had a blue band slightly above the forehead: the rest of it was colored orange.

His main body was round and both his arms and legs were short: he had green skies attached to his blue ski boots' soils.

The shoulders, on the other hand, were colored sea blue.

His forearms had an orange rim at their start: his hands were covered in the classical white "skin" as well and held two ski sticks with an orange handle.

His upper body was colored orange until slightly beneath the chest emblem: there it formed a pattern reminiscent of the Alphabet letter "M" and colored sea blue: his lower body was colored white.

The chest emblem had a red rim and the drawing a white-colored snowman's silhouette without nose, mouth or eyes: the rest of the emblem was colored black and so were his arms and legs.

"Dr. Regal – sama summoned me?" He asked.

"Correct! Annihilate that black-clad man!" "CF" Regal commanded in a fit of anger.

"Roger. Snow Rolling!"

"Heh." Mr. Denpa suddenly grinned.

He suddenly took out a PET II colored black and inserted a Battle Chip on it without bothering to announce the name: a copy of Elec Man appeared on the field and made three thunderbolts rain down on Blizzard Man, electrocuting him and stopping his would-be attack mid-way across the room.

"Aie~h!" He yelped.

"Battle Chip Data can also materialize inside of a "Dimensional Area" in case you didn't know." He announced.

"Whatever. Cross Laser!"

"Futile."

Lartes quickly took out his sword and held it diagonally with the blade aiming towards the left: the Cross Laser was deflected off it and it bounced back at "CF" Regal.

"My sword carries an EM field, too. We knew you could come to such ends, so... We came prepared in advance." Lartes told him.

"Why, you...!"

"Uo~h!"

"Gra~h!"

"Gu… Guo~h!"

"Warning. Signals of Cloud Man, Cosmo Man and Shade Man lost. Unable to reestablish contact." An auto-voice rang out.

"Calling on the _Tree Musketeers_!"

Blood Shadow, Omega and Sigma appeared on the scene while making a group pose.

"Hah!" Blood SHadow, standing at the left, aimed his shotgun towards the NW and grinned.

"Heh!" Omega, standing in the center, held the saber vertically in front of his face.

"Mwah, hah, hah!" Sigma, standing at the right, spread his arms and legs while aiming his sword towards the NE.

"Damn!" "CF" Regal hissed.

"Sigma! Defeat that Darkloid. Blood! Free them and protect them. I'll give our good ol' onboard medic a hand." Omega instructed.

"Roger!"

Sigma jumped in front of Blizzard Man who turned to look at him: Sigma took a step forward and his shadow loomed over Blizzard Man: he began to mutter something and stepped back while being totally terrified at Sigma's glowing green aura.

"… Oi! Do you know which the shortest road to the Reverse Internet is?"

"Shaddup! I'm the king of the ski lanes!" Blizzard Man snapped.

"Here is the road I was talking about. You're - _FIRED_!" Sigma announced.

He suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Blizzard Man: he plunged his sword into Blizzard Man's spherical body and it emerged from the front.

"GUO~H! My lane…! My ski resort…! Has been closed down…! Dr. Regal – sama~!"

He blew up and only a few scraps of data were left behind.

"I told cha: this is the shortest road to the Reverse Internet! Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" Sigma laughed.

Blood Shadow appeared behind Netto's chair and took out a scout knife from his belt: he used it to free him and then tended to Saito: both stood up and rubbed their wrists.

"Whoa. Now I see why his sword is so large." Saito let out a whistle of admiration.

"And he sure can have some black humor, too." Netto added.

"Time for a melody…" Mr. Denpa announced.

He suddenly began to shoot bullets from his SAA Revolver while spinning it towards the left: one of them grazed "CF" Regal's chest emblem, leaving a small crack on its upper right edge: the attack momentarily confused him thus leaving him open for attack.

"I told you: the best gun ever made!"

The other five bullets hit some wires placed above the LCD screen: their stuck on the wall after cutting through them and the LCD screen shut down due to the lack of electrical feed while all lights and switches on the console turned off, too.

"Wow! His aim is excellent!" Netto whistled in surprise.

"He sure is a pro!" Saito added.

"Leave it to him to turn the situation around."

"When it comes to tricks… He's the one who has a limitless supply!"

"Hra~h!"

"Gua~h!"

Omega had suddenly jumped into the air and then fell down while aiming his sword downwards and placing his feet on top of the lower edges: it plunged deep into "CF" Regal's chest emblem and he was paralyzed there as he roared in agony.

"There!"

Omega jumped off him while the "Cross Fusion" quickly broke down and a cracked PET II hit the floor followed by Regal, who collapsed into his fours.

"I'm not called the "Dark Messiah" in vain." Omega muttered as he spun the handle of the saber around his right hand.

He then switched it off and stored it into a holster built slightly beneath his right hip: Regal suddenly took out a black PDA from his right pocket and quickly inputted something into it.

"What are you plotting?" Lartes demanded.

"I'm starting my backup plan! Ever since yesterday evening, I've been spreading Nebula Grey's power as a program which is only visible in the X – Ray spectrum! It enters a Navi and fools its systems to then lodge inside and grow by trying to match the size of their Ultimate Programs: it creates a copy half as large and then copies enough data to take over it as well as form an extra personality file… They will be beckoned to come to Nebula Grey's new location to assemble: Nebula Grey will command them and they will form the "Dark Army" which shall sweep through the Cyber World! Even if you arrest me… This will ensure my total triumph over the Cyber World!" Regal laughed.

"Gua~h!"

Saito suddenly dropped into his knees while clutching his head: his body trembled and his lips moved but a very different voice was coming out: it sounded like having a pitch slightly higher than Saito's own while at the same time ringing with evil and malice.

"Hand it over… Hand it over… Nebula Grey – sama commands you… Hand it over… Hand it over…!" He muttered.

"W-what the hell?" Regal uttered.

"Need Not to Know!" Lartes grumbled.

He suddenly took out a PET II of his own and inputted some commands: Regal clutched his head as well and suddenly collapsed.

"That chip implant Wily placed on you as a fail-safe came in handy in the end. He was so paranoid that he mistrusted his own son." Lartes muttered with some annoyance.

"Saito – kun! Snap outta it! Eh… Pillow war!" Omega rallied while seemingly improvising along the way.

"… Fake…! There's a fake… inside of me…! I'm trying to… partition him… and force him out… through the wireless connection…! You fake…! Get out of MY consciousness…! Out…! Out…! Get out…! Come out…! You won't bring harm… to those around me…! Go to your stupid owner…! And never come back…!" Saito muttered.

"Niisan! You can do it! You can do it! I believe in you!" Netto crouched behind him and hugged him: he looked panicked.

"… GET OUT!" Saito roared.

Some data began to form in the middle of the air: they firstly created a purple-colored spheroid pulsating at a very fast pace followed by the overall figure of a body.

"What!"

The figure began to gain thickness and a layer of "skin" over it followed by another layer of bodysuit:

The helmet also became purple-colored.

The irises became blood red.

The bodysuit colors' became a deeper patch of black, the lines travelling through the sides became purple, too.

The chest emblem turned navy blue.

The boots were colored purple and the forearms were as well.

A smug smile formed on the fake's face as his materialization/formation finished and he stood in the middle of the room.

"… _Sayounara_." He sneered.

He suddenly dematerialized while Saito's head and body hung downwards and Netto caught the body to avoid from collapsing into the ground.

"Lovely morning!" Lartes cursed.

"Boss won't like this. And if I could bet, I'm sure the same has happened to Blues, too. There might be other weaker Navis, but they most surely won't make it into the deepest pit of that cursed area." Omega cursed.

"Will niisan be okay?" Netto asked.

"He will: the fake is gone, so… He's only exhausted because the brain wasn't designed to have to run such a process."

"Oh. I see."

"It's abused of its processor and it shut down everything to avoid permanent damage. He'll be fine with some rest." Lartes listed.

"By the way, sir… Are you the medic who was in charge of me during the time I had to heal from those two shots?" Netto asked.

"… Yeah. That's me." Lartes admitted as he took out the faceplate and revealed his face.

"So Vadous – san placed you on the hospital to monitor my recovery and my mood?" Netto deduced.

"Correct."

They suddenly heard shouting and the roar of helicopter engines: the group glanced at the ceiling.

"Guess we gotta go back. If Ijuuin – kun asks… Then say the "Committee" is the one ensuring security around you and your friends. We _will_ supply Commissioner Kifune with more info but he'll be hard to satisfy. Don't be surprised if he goes to the ends of playing stalker, too." Lartes quickly told them.

"Tell him his hairstyle should be blue and red as homage to the _FCB Barcelona_ or the Barça!" Sigma laughed.

"Jeez. We're in the middle of a mission! This is not the time for kidding, Sigma!" Blood Shadow grumbled.

"Like Blood said… Cool it. Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

The "DC" allowed Lartes to disappear while the three Navis quickly dematerialized: Netto sighed in relief and tried to lift the knocked out Saito.

_Whoa. This is the first time I feel niisan so close to me… What's this feeling…? I feel weird… Like… Like I was drawn in by him… Or am I overreacting?_

"… Hikari. What happened this time around?" Enzan nonchalantly asked as he stepped in at his usual "I'm – in – charge" pace.

"This guy, Regal, messed around! Lemme guess: a "Dark" copy of Blues formed outta him and then ran off somewhere." Netto shot back.

"Hmpf. True. And I guess the same thing happened to Rock Man."

"Yeah. The mere effort of expelling him was too much for him, so he's K. O. by now. And Regal was knocked out because a chip implant Wily set on his brain was triggered." Netto replied.

"Mr. Sponsor came to save the day again?" Enzan dully asked.

"Vadous – san. And, no, it was his 2nd in command. Vadous – san got a stress attack and had to rest."

"How ironic."

"Oi! Vadous – san is a person, you know! He's not perfect! He has his flaws like all humans! What are you, Mr. Perfect?" Netto protested.

"No."

"Now, now! Ijuuin – kun! Please behave yourself!" Superintendent Manabe scolded as she came in with some policemen.

"Ah… I apologize." He gulped.

"I am not commanding you, but that was very rude of you. You should've tried to be more concerned about what happened. We should be glad it ended up without anyone being seriously hurt or, worse even, dying in the midst of this murky affair. Get it, Ijuuin – kun?" Manabe told him with some annoyance.

"I shall not present any excuses, but…"

"Jeez. Your father isn't spying on you 24/7, you know! You should toss off that useless mask: prove that you're a human and not a cold and unfriendly automaton!" Manabe added.

"Yes, ma'am… I apologize."

"Anyway… Hikari – kun. We should get you back home: I convinced the Commissioner to pull off any debriefing until tomorrow: you need to calm down and rest because these events have obviously taken a toll on you two." Manabe addressed him.

"Roger. I guess Regal will tell you anything you need to know, though. Try to at least find out where the heck that "Nebula Grey" thing, whatever it is, is at. And we're missing 1 "Darkloid", too. There were supposed to be 6 but 5 are deleted by now." Netto replied.

"Chase down a "Darkloid"… Hmmm… Might be worth my time: it might be a new kind of adversary..." Enzan muttered.

"Enzan – sama. Please command me." Blues requested.

"Cool it down for today."

"Roger, sir."

"And don't think you can elude me forever, Hikari and Rock Man. I will get to the bottom." Enzan dully warned.

"Then ask Commissioner Kifune: he's the one who gets the emails with all the stuff." Netto rolled his eyes.

"Ah. Then I will."

Manabe escorted him out while Enzan suddenly spotted the cut wires atop the LCD screen and lifted his eyebrows.

"That was the work of a pro: no amateur can make the bullets shoot out in such a neat and arranged manner. Yet… Where the heck are the cartridges? Did they pick them up? Whatever. The Commissioner will tell me what you two hide…" Enzan muttered.

"Ijuuin – kun! I heard that!" Manabe protested.

"Yikes!"

"Jeez! Enzan! Give me a break! Be glad no – one died!"

"Jeez. I always run into trouble!"

12:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmpf. So you're that Ace Net Battler's "Dark"… "DS" Blues."

"And I guess you're "DS" Rock Man."

The Rock Man copy was standing next to a large cylindrical pit which seemed to about ten meters wide in diameter: he was talking with a copy of Blues which had a purple tint to his armor and who sounded evil and more "independent" than the original Blues.

"Guess all the rubbish didn't make it the V2 and V3 Viruses on their way here… Yet… Someone seems to have enclosed Nebula Grey – sama inside of its own pit." DS Rock Man muttered while glancing at it.

"So! It's up to us two to free Its Grace from there. How do you plan on doing it, anyway?" DS Blues asked.

"We need to overload the barrier: building a device to pump more energy into it could be a wise idea." DS Rock Man suggested.

"Sounds logical enough… Fine. Let's make a momentary truce for the sake of freeing our Lord. Then we will fight to prove which of us deserves being the Supreme Commander of the Nebula Hole Area and the "Dark" Nebula Army…" DS Blues announced while forming a smug smile.

"Same stuff over 'ere, too… I'm eager to bring out my full power just to beat ya up over and over again." DS Rock Man made the same smug smile and sneered.

They didn't realize that an unidentified silhouette was looking from atop a platform.

_Hmpf. Finally something interesting happens here… I would've seized that power already were it not for those interlopers… But if you fools want to free it, then go ahead. I'll take its power and leave you fools to kill each other… Then I will have enough power to challenge _that guy_ to be the strongest Net Navi in the Cyber World! Foolish humans… Take in my punishment!_

The silhouette chuckled under its breath…


	11. Chapter 11: Forte

**Chapter 11: Forte**

09:09 AM (Japan Time), Monday December the 31st…

"… So then… Commissioner Kifune's info wasn't enough to satisfy you, Enzan? You want to play police inspector?"

"Hmpf."

"Obviously."

"Hmpf."

Netto and Saito were sitting on chairs next to a table inside of a busy café somewhere: Enzan was sitting on front of them and had his "mask" on: he didn't look satisfied.

"Look, Enzan. _What_ exactly is bothering you? Didn't the Commissioner gladly give you a copy of the emails he got?" Netto asked.

"He did. But something reeks. Such as… What do they _gain_ from all this to begin with?" Enzan replied.

"And you expect us to know what motivates a 40-year old organization to keep on forward?" Saito asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Ah. I hadn't thought of it like that." Enzan muttered.

"Look. They only want to preserve "individuality": nowadays, given all these mass events and such, it's easy to lose criteria and be dragged along without even questioning it. That's not why each human comes to be different from another. Some people wanna control people's criteria by extending an unseen hand into those mass events. They're stubborn people who wanna keep their power by controlling the masses and make them dance to their tune. Gotcha?" Netto explained.

"Hmmm… I suppose you have a point." Enzan muttered next.

"Jeez. I don't think Commissioner Kifune will be glad when he finds out about this."

"He doesn't need to."

"No? What if he was to contact us with a Net Savior mission and we'd had to reply that we can't go because you're "detaining" us so as to "question" us?" Netto exposed.

"Crap."

"You can't even think of such a simple _scenario_? I guess you get obsessed with something and don't try to look elsewhere. It's like those fans out there who wanna make theories about something which are eventually proved false but they keep on bringing up moot points 'cause they won't accept that the official theory is better than theirs." Saito sighed.

"Enzan – sama. I did advice this was too much of a bold move." Blues suddenly brought up.

"I know." Enzan sighed.

"What else do you wanna know?"

"Those Navis. Why have we only seen the black giant until recently? Where were the other two?"

"Does it matter that much? Blood was in an assignment somewhere in Ameroupe while Omega – san was somewhere in Sharo Nation. They finished them and now they've come back to Japan. Hey. And it's thanks to them that Wily was beating around the bush the whole time without being able to find the Tetra Codes." Saito exposed.

"I won't deny that."

"So? What's the point of this whole "questioning", then?" Netto asked with a hint of annoyance.

"… Crap."

"Does it even have a "point" to begin with?"

"Enzan – sama. I am afraid that your idea lacks proper structuring: it should've been researched properly, sir." Blues argued.

"Even Blues agrees on us because he's programmed to go by logic but he doesn't see the logic on it." Netto pointed out.

"Whatever! So! That Ocelot man was an alter ego of that mysterious man named Mr. Denpa. And he's the one who cut those wires. Why?"

"Easy! To stop Regal from using the console. But we didn't foresee he had a PDA, too." Saito replied.

"Where do you think those two fakes are at?"

"Well… Vadous – san talked about an area Regal built: the Nebula Hole Area… It's supposedly accessed through somewhere in the Reverse Internet but only Navis with "Dark Power" can be allowed inside: the mere opening of its door unleashes V2 Viruses across the Cyber World. If they want to proceed to the second half, they need to open a second which unleashes V3 Viruses, too. Of course, you could always go out and close everything to prevent too much leakage of Viruses, too. And he managed to trap Nebula Grey inside of its own foul pit, too, by deploying an energy field which creates an infinite loop: Nebula Grey attacks it, but the field redirects the power at Nebula Grey and so on." Netto detailed.

"Hum. Fine. Then those must be slaughtering each other to prove which is superior to the other. We can stop getting worried about those. By the way… They still don't know where the heck the real Forte is at?"

"No. Maybe he switched countries or maybe he found a way to slip into that Nebula Hole Area: I've heard he can use warp gateways to move between areas: it was a system which was designed to be implemented for easy travel back before Proto went berserk, and Forte was installed with the capacity to use it. But after the whole "Proto Rebellion" incident, the idea was scrapped." Saito told him.

"Ah. So that's how he can slip away from curious eyes so easily. Fine. Is there anything else which I should know?" Enzan asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"You decide that." Netto sighed.

"Fine. We'll leave it at this before I get another scolding. But this isn't over by all means." Enzan replied as he stood up.

"We knew that." Saito shrugged.

"Hmpf. Fine."

Enzan headed to the counter and quickly paid for their coffee and orange juices: he stepped out of the café at a brisk pace while the twins picked their coats from a perch and put them on: they came outside and suddenly found Mr. Denpa leaning against the wall at the door's right.

"Are you… Denpa – san?" Netto asked.

"Correct. Would you like going for a walk?" He offered.

"Sure!" Saito smiled.

"As I suspected… Mr. Ijuuin won't give up so easily." Mr. Denpa commented as if to begin a conversation.

"Yeah. He can be so stubborn… And even Blues is starting to question the point of it. Is he impossible to satisfy or what?" Netto growled.

"So it'd seem." Saito sighed.

"Regarding those two subjects… They haven't been seen coming out of the Nebula Hole Area. But the "seal" on Nebula Grey is still active and running, so… Maybe they're trying to find a way around it. Yet, I believe that "someone" will come into the picture to try to "absorb" Nebula Grey's power." Mr. Denpa commented.

"The "real" Forte?" Netto guessed.

"Correct."

"Did Vadous – san recover already?" Saito asked him.

"He did. As Dr. Lartes admitted… He sometimes tries to push himself too hard and forgets about his limitations. He is a person, after all."

"So… Denpa – san. What "role" do you have inside of the "Committee", anyway?"

"Well… Even though I'm technically the 2nd highest authority… I rather prefer to act as the representative of Mr. Admin and allow the Departments to handle on their own."

"Are there other Departments besides the Security Department?"

"Analysis. Finance. General Oversight." Mr. Denpa listed.

"Is the "Analysis" department something akin to the police's field investigation departments?"

"Correct. Colonel Talos is in charge of it: but he technically is part of the Security Department, too."

"Say… That so-called "Ice Queen" who was behind Vadous – san's… eh… hiring… Was she a very dangerous criminal?"

"… More than "dangerous": it was a tyrant in all senses of the world. It was like all tyrants: they saw the world as mere "black" and "white" while priding their selves to be the "white" part of it. It controlled almost all organized crime in this nation through intimidation, fear, murder, blackmail, extortion and so on. It's not like it created the organized crime, no… It ambitioned to receive a large share of its gains for its own personal profit… Sadly enough… It held us in a tight rope because it had control over a large part of our finances…" Mr Denpa explained.

"But you always sought to break free, nevertheless?" Netto deduced.

"Of course! We wouldn't let such a tyrant control us forever. So, with Mr. Vadous' help, we were able to leak info to the police and they organized a secretive raid on its yacht: without that person's control, organized crime now has gone back to fighting each other for supremacy and weakening themselves out of arrogance." Mr. Denpa told them.

"Huh. We really should be glad, then." Saito muttered.

"True. Because, after all… We fight those who are trying to erase "individuality" from behind the scenes. This was no exception. But let's shake that mood aside: New Year's is upon us." Mr. Denpa smiled.

"It'll be a cool year." Netto grinned.

"Cooler than Mr. Cool." Saito joked.

They laughed in a jovial tone…

09:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So? How's it going?"

DS Blues had come to the pit to see DS Rock Man assembling some kind of device reminiscent of a control console: he was lying underneath it and checking it from the inside like if he were a car mechanic.

"It's coming out more or less. I can do about three quarters of it correctly, but we'd need specifications. Guess we'll have to blast into Nebula's computers." DS Rock Man replied as he came out from underneath the device and stood up: he shook some dust off him.

"I see. By the way… Haven't you got the feeling that we're being watched?" DS Blues brought up.

"You're just being paranoid. Only the two of us know how to get in here, you know." DS Rock Man shrugged.

"Yeah, I know… I'm off to seeking the data. How much time do you think we'd need to complete this once we get the data?"

"I wouldn't place it past 15 minutes…"

"Fine. I'll be back ASAP…" He made a smug smile.

"Don't think of stabbing me on the back: if you wanna prove your power then fight like a man." DS Rock Man dully told him.

"I knew that." He shrugged.

He suddenly ran off while DS Rock Man frowned and looked suspicious of his attitude.

"What the… He wants to suck my data off or what? He reminds me of a leech… I thought Shade Man was the vampire-model Darkloid to begin with..." He muttered with a hint of annoyance.

He shrugged and crouched next to the pit to look down on it: he could see a yellowish field of energy blocking it off.

_Not for much longer, ya know… Heh, heh, heh…_

10:08 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum. Mama left to go meet Meiru's mom."

"Fine."

The twins got back home and took off their shoes: they put the slippers as well as placing the caps and jackets into the perches: Netto had spotted a handwritten note over the shoe cupboard and read it.

"Let's go upstairs." Saito suggested.

"Yeah. I wanna finish my _manga_: I'm at the last chapter."

They both headed upstairs and walked into their room: Saito picked a chair and sat near the balcony window as he picked a book off the bookcase and Netto grabbed his _tankobon_ from the desk to begin reading it.

"Good stuff." He muttered.

Saito distractedly looked up several times from his book at Netto while a slight tint of red showed up on his cheeks.

_Huh… Well… Should I tell him now…? Should I settle it…? I'm not that sure… But… Maybe… Maybe he's too waiting for me to make a move…_

"Huh… Netto - kun…" He called out, hesitantly.

"What's up?"

Saito suddenly walked towards the balcony and lowered the shutter while he also made sure the door was locked.

"What are you doing, niisan?" Netto looked up in surprise.

"I want to talk about one thing… And I want to make sure no one hears about it…" Saito replied.

"Huh? What?"

Saito picked his chair and placed it in front of Netto to then sit down on it: he sighed and looked at Netto with a worried look.

"… Netto – kun. What do you think of me? As a person."

"As a person…? You're kind, polite and good-humored…" Netto trailed off while frowning.

"… When we're as close at this… Do you feel something?"

"Well… You know, the other day… In the Nebula base… I hugged you to keep you from falling into the ground and… I felt weird there. I mean… I felt different… Like that sudden contact had some meaning…"

"… I also felt the same when you were trying to encourage me to kick that fake outta my mind… I've been harboring to feel you close by…"

"Could this mean that…?" Netto suddenly asked.

"What, what?" Saito sounded eager.

"… that we _like_ each other?" Netto finished.

"… Netto – kun…! True… I _like_ you! I've been building up this feeling for these four months…"

"I, too, niisan… I've felt that I _liked_ you, too…!"

Netto suddenly closed his arms around Saito's neck and pulled him forward: he made contact with his lips and started to share a kiss with him: Saito quickly replied by closing his arms around Netto's neck and pulling him closer to him: the moment seemed to last forever, but they soon broke apart, gasping and panting.

"We… kissed… guess… that's one step…"

"Then… let's prove to each other if we really love each other…"

He opened his vest and threw it away as he quickly removed his shirt and also tossed it away as well: Netto soon began to imitate him by taking off his vest and his shirt: they then looked at each other's chest: Saito could spot the surgical scar left behind in Netto's right shoulder from some months ago.

"Here I go, Netto – kun."

Saito began to kiss Netto on various spots on his neck: Netto let out a small moan and Saito suddenly began to massage his chest: Netto began to use his fingers to explore different parts of Saito's own body and he was surprised at how smooth and suave it felt: Saito could feel how he was beginning to enjoy this.

"More…!" Netto moaned.

Both soon noticed their cocks bulging against the fabric of their boxers, so they stopped.

"Heh, heh! It seems my cock itches for some action…" Netto grinned.

"Mine, too… Let's get rid of these things." Saito suggested.

They both sat down on opposite sides on the bed and took out the socks and their shorts to see more clearly each one's cock shape pressing against the boxers.

"Let's remove each one's boxers." Netto suggested.

"Nice."

Saito crouched and softly lowered Netto's boxers: he was amazed to see how his cock extended in its full length in front of his noses: Saito stood up and Netto did the same thing to him before they tossed them away.

"Let's go for it." Netto encouraged.

"Let's make _love_ to each other, Netto – kun." Saito sounded eager.

They lied together on Saito's bed: he quickly grabbed Netto's cock and began to stir it by rubbing the urethra with his thumb finger: Netto suddenly came to while letting out a long sigh of pleasure: a lot of it had stained Saito's right hand as well as his upper torso and face.

"Wow… Netto – kun's cum… I wonder how it'll taste like…"

He licked his face and hand until they were clean and savored the fluid: Netto was seemingly reeling at his first release and panting.

"I want to see how his cock tastes like…"

He crouched, neared his head to Netto's cock and started to lick it, making him move around in pleasure.

"Niisan! Please… go quicker…!" He pleaded.

Saito nodded in agreement and began to move it faster and take it deeper into his throat.

"Niisan!" Netto cried.

He erupted, filling Saito's throat with the fluid: he calmly swallowed it and smiled.

"Netto – kun… Can I deflower you? Can you be my true love?" Saito asked him.

"Yeah… Go ahead… I want to be your love…" Netto encouraged him with an eager smile on his face.

Saito then moved and started massaging his brother's back: he put a finger in his insides and maneuvered around.

"O~h! It feels good… Keep at it…. Please…" Netto requested.

He then put another two and finished massaging: he took them out after he'd widened the entrance enough.

"I'm going in. Is that alright with you?" Saito asked.

"Go in. Make love to me." Netto requested.

Saito smiled as he picked Netto by the waist and slowly sat him on his lap while making sure to make his cock enter his brother's awaiting insides: Netto closed his eyes and looked like he loved every second of it: Saito began to use his hips and arms to move Netto up and down along the length of his cock: the experience was incredible for both of them: Netto began to rub his own cock as well.

"I'm going off, niisan!"

"Whoa!"

"Here it comes!"

Netto moaned as he released and his own release tightened Saito's cock inside of him: Saito cried as he released and overfilled Netto's insides: both panted from the experience and Saito barely noticed the liquid sliding down his cock.

"Niisan… Be happy. You made love to me. I'm your love now." Netto sounded proud of it.

"Thank you… Netto – kun…" Saito replied.

Netto slowly detached himself from Saito's body and looked at him.

"I'm going to taste you."

"Please… do it…"

Netto helped Saito to lay face-up on the bed and assumed a pose from which it was easy to lick Saito's cock: the green – eyed boy started moaning when Netto began to lick his cock

"Netto – kun…! It's your turn… Make love to me… And the circle will be closed…" Saito pleaded.

"You can be somewhat of a poet sometimes!" Netto giggled.

Netto proceeded to do the finger part for a while and then removed them when Saito's insides had widened enough.

"I'm going in, niisan." He announced.

"Go in… Turn me into your love…" Saito requested.

Netto grabbed Saito's legs, placed them over his shoulders and pulled towards his awaiting cock: Saito opened his eyes wide upon feeling the sudden entry and the rush of pleasure which accompanied it: he let out a large moan and spread his arms wide.

"Move it… move it, please…!" He pleaded.

"Roger!"

Netto began to pull in and out at a steadily increasing rate and observing Saito's face of absolute pleasure as he rubbed his own cock, too.

"Uh… Netto – kun…!" He cried.

He suddenly released and the spurts landed on Netto's face: he closed his eyes and cried as he let out his cum inside of Saito's insides and felt his mind go blank: he hardly noticed his own cum sliding down his cock.

"Let's… end this…" Saito suggested.

"You're right…" Netto agreed.

Netto pulled out and hugged Saito: Saito hugged him and they began a passionate kiss while rubbing their cocks against each other: they both released and stained their faces and upper torsos: they licked each other's spurts clean and shared their third kiss in the morning.

"Niisan… I love you…" Netto announced between pants.

"I love you, Netto – kun…" Saito announced next.

"We'll do it again?"

"I promise."

"Heh, heh. I guess you'll want me to start first: does my face make you feel horny?" Netto teased.

"You everything turns me on, Netto – kun." Saito confessed.

"Guess it's the same for me, too…" Netto muttered.

"Now I've decided: I _love_ you, Netto – kun. Roll – chan can wait. We're both young, after all! We can keep on being just "friends". And, to be honest, I'm afraid she's going to try to reel Blood in."

"Oho. Try to reel Blood in… I'd like to see Roll trying."

"Heh, heh, heh. Maybe Mr. Legged Potato will come in to announce that he's patented Potato Man."

"Potato Man…! It sounds so funny…!" Netto laughed.

"The Joke Twins get on the move, I'd say."

Both hugged each other and laughed…

10:39 AM (Japan Time)…

"… What the hell took you so long?"

"A black Navi was trailing me! I had trouble shaking the guy off me."

"Ah. If it's just that… Did you make sure to close both gateways on your way here?"

"Yeah. Let's finish this machine already."

DS Rock Man looked annoyed at first by DS Blues' delay but he shrugged as he picked a cube from DS Blues' hands: he opened it and looked at the data before assuming his earlier pose beneath the console and began to fix it.

"… Don't you feel some kind of pressure?" DS Blues asked.

"It's gotta be Nebula Grey – sama."

"Ah. Guess so… Heh, heh, heh."

"What's so funny? You're confident of your victory?" DS Rock Man asked without bothering to stick his head out.

"Maybe."

"You sound like a lawyer."

"Very funny." He didn't like it.

"Hit a spot…" DS Rock Man giggled.

"Hmpf. Whatever." DS Blues played the offended.

"Good… I think I'm almost done." DS Rock Man reported.

"Fine, fine." DS Blues drily muttered.

"Bored? Go slice a pack of V3 Viruses in Area 5 to kill the time."

"Nah. Don't need to." He suddenly sounded amused.

"Well, I don't' see your point. If there's one to begin with. Are you trying to provoke me or what?"

"Who knows?"

"You do, Leech Man."

"Heh, heh, heh."

"Huh? What's so funny?"

"I'm a leech…" He tried to sound scary.

"Uh. Very scary, really." DS Rock Man sarcastically replied.

"I'm a ghost."

"Don't mistake me for my "Original"." He warned.

"Pity."

"Yeah. Classical."

"How much time…?" He began.

"Four minutes, give or take." He quickly replied.

"Fine."

"Told ya: go slice Viruses up."

"No need to…" He began to glance at his crotch.

"Then go play a _Kabuki_ character."

"Maybe I'll do that."

"It's an irony."

"I knew that."

"This is getting dull."

"It'll soon get exciting."

"I know: we're going to fight each other."

"Nah. That'd be pointless, really."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Maybe I'll tell you in a few minutes' time."

"Fine. But I don't see the point for such beating around the bush. Maybe you wanna try to play the cool guy to Nebula Grey – sama?"

"Maybe."

"You're starting to sound like a lawyer again."

"My bad."

"Another two minutes, I'd say… I only need to connect another three wires and this should work…" He reported.

DS Blues silently licked his lips by sticking his tongue out: he began to articulate his fingers and stepped back.

"One wire…"

"Heh, heh, heh. The Demon God shall be awakened!"

"Sure thing."

"Done."

"Good."

DS Rock Man came out and stood up: he shook the dust off him and walked backwards towards the panel to engage it as he didn't lose sight of DS Blues: a pipe behind the panel began to emit golden-colored data and it hit the barrier: the barrier began to frizzle and a monstrous hand suddenly broke through it followed by another: they then began to attack the barrier at several spots.

"Coming…" DS Rock Man muttered without bothering to turn around: he looked amused.

"Yeah. Coming…" DS Blues grinned.

"Groa~h!" An inhuman voice roared.

"Demon God! Awaken!" Both chanted.

A gigantic monster suddenly appeared out of the abyss.

This "monster" had a main body the shape of which looked strikingly similar to the Alphabet letter "T" with the base having three pale blue diamond-like formations aiming NE and NW on each side of it: four large metallic chains came out from inside of the vortex and attached to the purplish mass which was the upper body.

The thing's head had an irregular shape as it was made up of reddish mass with white patterns drawn over it: two red eyes missing any iris shone on the face while the mouth area was colored blue: giant teeth filled the open mouth which uttered inhuman roars: a thin large diamond object was set on the forehead, too.

Six needles colored blue and with a small blackish stripe near the base of them emerged from behind the shoulders: they had an eerie vibe to them and looked sharp.

The monster's hands looked more like claws than real hands: they were colored in a reddish tint all the way to the start of the forearms: two cuffs seemingly made of metal with an inner blue band and lacking chains were visible on the monster's wrists.

A small bluish flame with four spooks protruding upwards and having a white-colored core was spinning drawing an orbit around the main thing as if t was linked to it somehow.

It suddenly signaled both of them and they kneeled: some data flew out and entered their bodies: they stood up and saluted.

"Nebula Grey – sama! We shall unleash these Viruses across the Cyber World and thou figure shall rule it all!" Both chanted.

"That sounds more like a rip-off from a fantasy tale." A voice rang out.

Someone suddenly dropped into the ground behind them followed by another larger object: they both turned to see _Forte_ and "Gospel" there.

"Hmpf. Step aside."

"Shit. This is guy is more powerful than both of us combined… Let's run!"

Both ran out while "Gospel" growled and Forte jumped at the monster…

10:47 AM (Japan Time)…

"… This is supposed to be the spot where the Nebula Hole Area Entrance is at, but… They managed to close it from the inside."

"Che. Bothersome mice."

Blood Shadow and Sigma walked into a corner of the Reverse Internet which didn't seem to have anything special about it.

"Cool it down, Sigma." Blood Shadow sighed.

"I know!" Sigma grumbled.

"You don't. You broke another drone yesterday. And don't try to put more stress on Boss: you saw how he actually collapsed last time around."

"Che." Sigma muttered.

A purple gateway suddenly opened in front of them and V2 Viruses ran out of it before the two "DS" Navis jumped out of it: the echoes of a roar could be felt in the air before the two of them closed the gateway up: they gasped upon spotting company.

"The black guy!" DS Blues growled.

"Damn. Those guys were there the other day…!" DS Rock Man muttered.

"What happened?" Blood demanded.

"Demon God – sama broke free. But Forte showed up along with that "Gospel" monster!" DS Blues growled.

"Ah. You found a way to overload the barrier, then. But since Forte is gonna take profit of its weakened state, then…" Blood Shadow shrugged.

"You're in the way! Step aside!" DS Blues growled at them.

"Sorry. But you guys are a menace to Network Society so… No hard feelings."

Blood Shadow suddenly dashed forward while loading up his shotgun and placed the barrel of it on DS Blues' chest emblem: he shot.

"I-impossible…! One attack and…! No…! My prey…!" He groaned as he dropped into his knees.

"… "Prey"…? So you wanted to steal my data, after all!" DS Rock Man growled in annoyance.

"Hah… You don't get… anything…!" DS Blues shot back.

He suddenly dropped into the ground and his body was deleted: DS Rock Man stepped back and suddenly brought the gateway up: the V2 Viruses flew out and began to attack Blood Shadow and Sigma.

"Grah! Rubbish! Take this!" Sigma cursed.

He suddenly swung his sword 360º and managed to delete most of the Viruses in one hit: Blood Shadow had drawn a red indented blade on his left wrist and was using it to slice through the pack: they soon managed to delete them but the gateway had closed.

"Crap. The guy ran away. Boss won't be content." Sigma cursed.

"At least we've got one trouble less… Let's leave the guy: maybe he'll bump into Forte and Forte will make us a favor." Blood shrugged and didn't seem to care.

They began to walk away from the spot while they deleted any Viruses which showed up on their path.

"Rubbish, really."

"Yeah. I'll be going on ahead: I need to revise my battle simulations and see if I can find a way to lower my power output." Sigma sighed.

"That'd be a wise idea, really. I'll go check the Reverse Square to see if there's anything important we should take care of."

"Like finding a stray donut?" Sigma joked.

"Very funny." Blood Shadow drily replied.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh."

"Jeez."

10:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff… Huff… Managed to escape… What a jerk! He wanted to leech out my data. I'm glad those guys deleted him. Where the heck is this place at, anyway?"

DS Rock Man panted as he hid behind a billboard with indications and looked rather annoyed: he then glanced at the billboard.

"Welcome to Densan Area… Uh. I sure climbed up a lot of levels. But I shouldn't expose myself… Huh?"

He looked towards the south and spotted a small cluster of buildings which looked like a miniature district: he ran towards there and jumped atop a rooftop.

"Hmmm… It seems to be an experimental "City" section… They want to implement more of these to try to mirror real world and Cyber World as part of some project or another… Huh?" He muttered.

He suddenly crouched and looked out into an avenue: he spotted Rock Man whistling a tune and walking across it.

_Rock Man! This is my chance: I'll force him to tell me how to enter his real world body and use it to spread fear and terror! That alleyway would do fine… Let's bait the guy._

He jumped down into a nearby side alley and ripped part of a drain pipe off the wall: he then glued his body to the right wall and waited until Rock Man walked past him.

_Now!_

DS Rock Man jumped towards Rock Man from behind and hit with a lot of strength the back Rock Man's head with the pipe: unfortunately for him, the helmet absorbed the blunt of the attack and only managed to make a _CLONG_ sound which echoed inside Rock Man's helmet, leaving him dizzy and confused: DS Rock Man took a Dark Sword Battle Chip out and grabbed him from behind while placing the blade next to his neck: he also closed his left arm around his torso.

"Don't move."

"You!" Rock Man hissed.

"Yeah. Hand over the body!"

"I won't!"

"I'll take it by force, then."

"You can't: the security system won't allow you inside!"

"Che."

"The designer was too clever for you!"

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"This guy…!"

"Bite me."

"Che."

"What's holding you back, you artificial colors in a cheap drugstore candy bar?" Rock Man taunted.

"I'm not falling for that trick!"

"Funny. Both Wily and Regal did: and they had way more experience than you." Rock Man grinned.

"Che."

"Che Guevara?" Rock Man joked.

"Wrong!"

"Wait, wait. You wanna invent the "Cha – Chi – Chu – Che – Cho" instead of the "Ra – Ri – Ru – Re – Ro", right?"

"What the hell is that?

"Your end, you fool." A familiar voice rang out.

A _shuriken_ appeared out of nowhere and stabbed the doppelganger on his back thus giving Rock Man the chance to hit him with his elbow and punch him to shake him off his body: a sword appeared out of nowhere and slashed thus leaving a scar on the doppelganger's right cheek.

"Grah! Who the…?" DS Rock Man cursed.

Shadow Man suddenly appeared between both of them while having his hands' index and middle finger pressed together.

"Calling on Shadow Man."

"Sha - Shadow Man?" Rock Man gasped.

"Been a while."

"Someone hired you to delete me?" Rock Man demanded.

"Wrong. My Operator has decided to quit as a mercenary: he was approached by a certain Mr. Vadous. He suggested help to protect both of you 'cause some lowlifes wanted to play dirty schemes on you two. We gladly accepted since I despise those who don't respect _bushido_ honor!"

"Whoa! Thanks a lot, Shadow Man." Rock Man whistled in admiration.

"… If you must…" He shrugged.

"I'm not done yet! Dark Cannon!"

"Kage Bunshin!"

Three "Kage Bunshin" appeared and took the blast in, being immediately logged out: DS Rock Man let out a snarl of fury.

"Dark Wave!"

There was a cloud of smoke: Shadow Man appeared behind him and shot several _shuriken: _all of them struck the target.

"Enough?" Shadow Man taunted.

DS Rock Man grimaced and ran out of the area by opening a purple gateway and jumping inside: it immediately closed.

"… Cool!" Rock Man whistled.

"I expected more of a challenge. Next time, huh... See you, Rock Man. Remember one thing, though… You are a big fish. That's all. Don't think I am your "comrade" at all." Shadow Man warned.

"Do as you like." Rock Man replied.

"Good! I shall go report to my Operator. Farewell."

Shadow Man dropped a bomb on the ground and a cloud of smoke surrounded him to cover his retreat.

"Cool! Shadow Man's gonna help this time around. Guess Enzan will be seeing conspiracies everywhere by now." Netto chuckled.

"Yeah! Guess so. Plug me Out."

"Roger!"

Rock Man returned inside of his PET II and stretched: Netto then grabbed it and headed for his physical body: he opened the right eye and aimed the Link PET at it.

"Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

Saito immediately stretched and suddenly closed his arms around Netto's neck to pull him close: he kissed him and Netto returned the kiss: Saito grinned at him one they finished.

"A teasing." Saito announced.

"Whoa. Guess I'll have to hold back at them."

"Heh, heh. I'm Tease Man."

"Yeah… Sure…" Netto looked skeptical.

He shrugged and picked his _tankobon_ up while Saito looked out at the snowed panorama.

"Alright. What's next?" Netto asked.

"Well! Let's look forward to New Year's! There we go~!"


	12. Chapter 12: Battle of Light versus Dark

**Chapter 12: Battle of Light Versus Dark**

15:56 PM, Wednesday January the 2nd, 2010…

"… Whoa. The year 2010 already… Cool!"

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be an important year, too."

"Huh? Mail… Dekao… "If ya have the guts, come battle THE Dekao – sama and I'll prove you're more rusted than the school's rear door!"… I don't recall the school having a rear door…"

"Sounds intriguing."

Netto and Saito were talking inside of their bedroom when Netto's PET had beeped: he checked it out and looked surprised.

"Let's go there and show him what stuff we're made of: prepare a good powerful Folder to blow Guts Man sky-high until he crash-lands into Mars and meets the Martians." Saito giggled.

"Terrific. Let's go for it!" Netto grinned.

Saito jumped into his bed and placed his hands behind his head: Netto placed the PET II's IR laser port in front of the right eye as the laser shot out and entered it: Saito closed his eyes and his breathing slowed down: Netto then began to browse through the menus.

"Oho. I've got a folder with 3 PAs plus that Giga Chip we got for Christmas… Should we try it out?" Netto suggested.

"Why not?" Rock Man grinned.

"O. K.! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

Rock Man entered the PC and crossed both firewalls before exiting into the main Densan Area: he hummed a tune and headed towards the Warp Point for Dekao's router device: he stopped in front of the firewall and was allowed inside: he then crossed the PC's firewall and walked across its Cyber World until he met Guts Man.

"Guts, guts! Ya came, Rock Man!"

"Hiya, Guts Man."

"Oi! Netto! I'm gonna beat you in 30 seconds!" Dekao proclaimed.

"We'll see 'bout that. Battle Operation, Set!"

"In!"

"Gattsu~!"

"Program Advance! Toppu, Suikomi, Gate Man! Triple Slot In!"

"What!" Dekao gasped.

"Gate Magic!"

Gate Man showed up on the field and opened his chest's gates to then begin throwing out objects while Rock Man punched him from behind using the Mega Guts Punch: all objects hit Guts Man and inflicted major damage to him.

"What! 900 HP drained out of 1600! No fair!" Dekao growled.

"Oi. I always come at full power!" Netto told him.

"Why, you…!"

"Gattsu~! Guts Hammer!"

Guts Man hit the floor and the shockwave spread through it: Rock Man jumped out of the way.

"Battle Chip, Fighter Sword! Slot In!"

"Hra~h!"

Rock Man used the large sword to make a cut on Guts Man's upper body: he groaned and tried to use the Mega Guts Punch to hit Rock Man: he simply jumped over and dodged with grace.

"The finishing blow! _Giga_ Chip, Gospel Fire! Slot In!"

"Groa~h!"

"W-what?" Dekao gasped.

"Gospel", on its full and imposing size, formed on the field and looked towards Guts Man with a hostile glare: Guts Man stepped back while feeling his confidence drop down.

"Groa~h!"

"Gospel" opened the mouth and shot out a stream of orange-colored flames towards Guts Man: they filled the whole field and Guts Man roared in agony before being logged out.

"Whoa. Busting Time: 00:09:17… Busting Level: S. Guts Man V3 get! This Giga Chip is a beast itself!" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Yeah. And it uses us a lot of RAM memory and battery, so… We gotta be careful when using it." Rock Man warned.

"No fair!" Dekao growled.

"Dekao! Admit it already: you never got past the "Sub-License" exam and I have the "SSS" License! There's a monumental power difference between both of us!" Netto insisted.

"I wanted to impress Meiru!"

"She won't like this."

"She will!"

"I doubt it." Roll sentenced as she came in.

"Wha!" Dekao gasped.

"Dekao – kun. We're still going over that?" Meiru looked annoyed and fed up with the whole deal.

"I didn't want to annoy ya!" Dekao gasped.

"You're not proving it."

"You deserve someone better than that crappy guy!"

"I believe the "crappy guy" is you."

"No way!"

"Way. Wake up, Dekao – kun. This is "reality". And you should be thinking about your scores instead of stuff taken out a TV drama. We're not in the Edo Age anymore, you know." Meiru grumbled.

"Wha~h! Nobody supports me~!" Dekao cried.

"Play the drama character all the time you wish: I came here to speak with Netto." She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What's up?" Netto asked.

"There's something we need to settle. Come to my house."

"Sure."

"I'll be waiting, Rock!" Roll told him.

"O. K."

"Gattsu…" Guts Man sighed.

"Go catch a sacred maiden." Roll joked.

"Gattsu~!"

Guts Man suddenly ran out while the twins lifted their eyebrows in surprise: Meiru grinned while Roll giggled.

"That bait never fails." Roll announced.

"Yeah. I guess." Rock Man muttered.

"Don't take too long." Meiru insisted.

"We're on our way… No need to rush it."

"Fine. This is important."

"_Very_ important." Roll added.

"Uh-oh." Both muttered.

"Tee, heh, heh."

"The world is horrible~!" Dekao cried.

16:03 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here we are. What's up?"

"Saito – kun. Pick the PET II and go upstairs. This is between Netto and me, so…"

"Uh… Sure. Sorry for the intrusion."

Netto lifted his eyebrows while Saito picked the PET II and headed upstairs: he sat down on a chair in front of Meiru.

"So! Netto."

"What do you want outta me? Information?"

"More or less."

"That sounds like a lawyer."

"Tee, heh, heh. My. Praising me?"

"No. I was being sarcastic."

"Don't you feel different?"

"Of course. Niisan is living with us again, I'm a Net Savior and I've helped bring down those Nebula guys." Netto listed.

"I didn't mean that."

"No? Sorry. I don't get your point, honestly."

"What do you think of me?"

"You're my friend. Like Yaito, Dekao and Tooru – kun."

"That's fine. But… Is there more to it?"

"Are you angry because I didn't keep that promise back when the final battle with Gospel?"

"No. I understand that it was unforeseeable."

"Then what's going on? Did that "DS" Navi come pester you?"

"No. No Navi has pestered me."

"Sorry. But unless you stop beating around the bush…"

"Do you _like _me?" Meiru suddenly stood up and leant her palms on the table as she leant forward.

"O-oi. Wait a min. Aren't we way too young for that?"

"_Baka_. We don't need to do that."

"Ah, no?"

"Wait a min… The way you say it…" She looked suspicious.

"What?"

"You wouldn't have been doing pervert things, right?" She questioned.

"How could I? I'm a Net Savior!" He protested.

"Ah. I forgot that."

"… Look, Meiru. I won't say either "yes" or "no" yet. I don't feel like it, really. And before you ask… There's no one else involved."

"Enzan – kun isn't?"

"Enzan? Look at how hostile and mean he's with everyone: Manabe – san had to scold him. I wish he'd take off that stupid mask one day." Netto grumbled.

"Ah. I should've guessed so." Meiru muttered.

"So? Can we end this already? I don't feel like deciding: we're just 6th graders! We've got time ahead of us. And weren't you telling Dekao that it's not good to imitate TV drama characters?"

"Hmmm… True. Yet… Something… Something doesn't seem right. Wait a min! Enzan – kun isn't involved, but… Maybe Saito – kun is?"

"Do you have any proof?"

"You sound like a lawyer."

"Guess so."

"Hmpf. So that's how it is." She muttered.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'll pick Tooru – kun: he looks more _naïve_!"

"Fine. But don't try to leech him."

"I won't."

"But that doesn't mean we can't keep on being "friends", right?"

"Of course not."

"Good. Then I'm going back home."

Netto stood up just as Saito returned and placed the PET II on top of the table.

"… I understand, Saito – kun. I won't chase it." Roll told him.

"Thank you for your understanding, Roll – chan. See you."

"Later."

"Later."

The twins came out of the house and Meiru sat down on her chair and looked disappointed and annoyed.

"I told you, Meiru – chan… I'm not in a rush. I can wait: we're still young, after all!" Roll told her.

"Yeah. But did he admit to…?" Meiru asked.

"He did after I pressed him. But I don't blame them."

"Whatever. Tooru – kun! You're my target!" She ginned.

"No good, no good…" Roll grimly muttered.

"There's no escaping me!" Meiru proclaimed.

"I wonder about that." Roll muttered.

16:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oh!"

Rock Man was walking around the Cyber World's Densan Area "city" when he spotted Shadow Man leaning against a building: he signaled Rock Man to come to him.

"Hey! Shadow Man. What's up?" He asked.

"Your doppelganger is nowhere to be found. Do you have any clues where could he be?" Shadow Man went straight to the point.

"Hmmm… He probably went back to the Nebula Hole Area." He replied.

"That's a pity. I cannot reach that place." He sounded disappointed.

"I can't, either." He shrugged.

"We'll have to wait for him to show his nose around. He's late when it comes to catching up." Shadow Man sounded amused.

"Guess so."

"I have found no one that wants to target you or your Operator. But do not lower your guards. You two are, after all, big fishes." He turned serious again.

"I know." Rock Man calmly replied.

"That's all. See you around."

Shadow Man vanished in his usual manner and Rock Man lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

"Rock Man! There's a mail from Sigma."

"What does he say?"

"…"Come to Kotobuki Square in front of the old Gospel HQ. Something's going on."… It sounds weird for some reason or another if you ask me: doesn't look like Sigma's style."

"A trap, huh… Let's go greet it!" Rock Man grinned.

16:27 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here we are! Kotobuki Square. And there's nobody. How fitting for a classical trap."

"Yeah. Guess so!"

Rock Man explored the area around the sealed up entrance to the Gospel HQ: it looked devoid of life.

"Hmmm?"

Rock Man crouched next to a ground panel and spotted what seemed to be a black metallic railing running across the joint between tiles: he calmly followed its shape and form to discover that it formed a small square space about three tiles tall per two wide.

"Hra~h!" Someone yelled from behind him.

Rock Man calmly stood up and took a step towards the left: a blur ran past the spot he'd been at and stepped into the delimited terrain: the metallic railings suddenly lifted to reveal a cage built under the ground: the "ceiling" area was enclosed as well: the one who'd stepped inside of it turned out to be DS Rock Man.

"Damn! A failure!" He cursed.

"The hunter got hunted." Rock Man shrugged.

"Why, you…!" He growled.

"Let's end this story already. Netto – kun! Let's go for the "PD" strategy, shall we?" Rock Man called out.

"Oh yeah! Program Advance! Gun del Sol 3, Gun del Sol 3, Django SP! Slot In!"

"PILE DRIVER!"

The two famous generators appeared both in front and behind his enemy: Rock Man took out the controller and raised it up.

"Taiyou~!" He yelled.

The generators lit and the sunlight attacked DS Rock Man: his body data began to break apart due to the lack of Dark Power to keep it both stable and able to exist: he tried to pull the bars of the cage but they didn't wield and he collapsed into his knees while his body began to break down: Rock Man calmly looked on without being concerned.

"NO! I AM A BEING OF THE "DARK"! I CANNOT BE DEFEATED THIS EASILY! I… I… WILL COME BACK! NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! UNTIL I DEFEAT YOU… UWA~H!"

His body was finally deleted and the cage program was as well: Rock Man lowered the controller and both generators vanished.

"No hard feelings. It was my mission, after all. You were a menace for the Network Society, so… You left me no other choice." He calmly muttered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oho. Good job, Saito – kun."

Blood Shadow walked over to him and looked amused.

"Yo! Blood Shadow. You should've used this for Shade Man, too."

"Sure. If I find any residual data, then I'll bust it with this Program Advance… Can you share the memo with me, please?"

"Sure. Here you have."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"Don't mind it. Let's go celebrate: Nebula is over. For all intents and purposes." Rock Man tapped his right shoulder.

"Heh, heh! There's gonna be a pillow war tonight! It'll be intense and I'll beat a new record!" Netto grinned.

"You won by 2 points last time. But I'm about to debunk that personal record of yours, Netto – kun."

"Pillow Man Attacks!" Blood Shadow joked.

"Good one!" Both laughed.

16:58 PM (Japan Time)…

"Boss… Oh? _Halo 3: ODST_?"

"Yeah. It helps me shake off stress."

"Heh, heh."

"So… What's up, Omega?"

"Netto – kun and Saito – kun _pile drove_ the remaining "DS" Navi."

Omega had stepped into a small bedroom-like room: it had a bed, a desk, a chair and one LCD TV built on the south wall: the door was also built on the south wall and there was an adjacent restroom/bathroom built on the left side of the room: Vadous (dressed in a black wool jumper, jeans and white socks) was playing a game using a XBOX 360.

"Good! Then we've got nothing to worry about."

"We have."

"What?"

"Dragon now claims the HQ is cursed as is giving out prayer beads to everyone." Omega grinned.

"That man… He's a good onboard cook, yet… He has this weird behavior from time to time." Vadous rolled his eyes.

"Well then… I'll leave you and Mr. Romeo to blast through the Covenant hordes: they reek of _Channel ZZZ_." Omega joked.

"Very original." Vadous looked skeptical.

"You never know, Boss, you never know."

Omega closed the door while Vadous rolled his eyes: he looked slightly exasperated.

"Anyway… It'd seem I can take a good rest: the "Committee" can perfectly handle the rest." Vadous smiled.

He chuckled under his breath…


	13. Chapter 13: The new menace

**Chapter 13: The new menace**

09:33 AM (Japan Time), Thursday January the 17th…

"… Nothing…"

"Enzan – sama. I did suggest this email was a prank."

"Yeah. I should listen to you more often."

Enzan was checking out an abandoned store next to a small bank: he looked disappointed.

"Dust, dust and more dust… Is there a Dust Man EXE guy or what?" Enzan muttered.

"… There is, sir. He seems to work in Seaside Town, part of Ciber City, where the World Fair is going to be housed this next summer. His Operator is named Mr. Press." Blues confirmed.

"Lovely." Enzan muttered next.

He sighed and looked outside: he suddenly spotted a wagon car parking in front of the bank and four to five men jumping down: they had balaclavas on and carried machineguns.

"What! A bank robbery…!" He gasped.

"Nobody move! This is an assault!" One of them shouted.

"Kya~h!"

"Shoot into the air to scare them." Another commanded.

There was a moment of tension and Enzan tried to pay attention to what was going on.

"… Huh? This machinegun… Its clip and chamber are empty!"

"What!"

"Mine too!"

"What!"

The sounds of police sirens rang out and one SWAT Team van parked in front of the bank: the team jumped out and rushed inside.

"Nobody move!"

"Crap! All these weapons are unloaded! Boss!"

"No way!"

"… Hmmm…" Enzan sounded suspicious.

"Enzan – sama. It would seem someone else did provide the weapons but they didn't bother to check if they worked properly enough."

"So it'd seem…" Enzan muttered.

"Maybe this was timed to lure us away?" Blues offered.

"… Crap! Hikari and Rock Man! I was trying to find out more about how they met with the "Committee" guys!" Enzan cursed.

"Enzan – sama… That would be unwise, sir. The Official Head could get angry at it, sir." Blues warned.

"I know! And I don't care: but I don't feel satisfied. I'm sure there's something else which they are hiding from us."

"As you command, Enzan – sama."

Enzan discreetly came out and headed away from the scene while stuffing both hands on his jeans' pockets: he looked thoughtful.

_No matter how hard you guys try, I'll get to the bottom of this. And this is Ijuuin Enzan speaking._

"Blues. Try to look up any houses recently rented or bought which don't get much use in a 5km radius from Hikari's neighborhood."

"Roger, Enzan – sama. Please leave it to me."

Enzan fumed and grumbled something under his breath.

_I don't like not having COMPLETE information: I will find the source myself and get the info I want!_

09:44 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Like I was saying… Those "Renegades" lurking around the Reverse Internet are nothing to worry about. Those rumors about them having "wonder weapons" are just fabrications recycled out of some WWII book, really… They're just a bunch of shows – offs and nothing to worry about, according to Omega's reports."

"Yeah. People always want to believe in "wonder weapons"..."

"Maybe they should believe in "rusted weapons"…"

The twins were having a tea with Vadous inside of his house: they were sitting in the _tatami_ cushions and calmly sipping their teas.

"Chief Lezareno staged for some empty weapons to get to the hands of some would-be bank robbers: we directed Ijuuin – kun to a nearby place and kept him busy witnessing it. He's being somewhat too obsessed into trying to play stalker, so…" Vadous explained.

"What should we do to shake Enzan off?" Saito asked.

"You could protest to Commissioner Kifune and suggest him to place him in charge of purging out this band of show – offs. Having a mission will keep his mind busy." Vadous blinked them an eye.

"Heh, heh! Once Enzan gets into a mission… There's nothing which can make him stray from it." Netto chuckled.

"Yeah. He'll be searching under the pebbles." Saito giggled.

"Besides… They must miss him and Blues down there: the grunts which got confident will see their confidence plummet even deeper." Netto chuckled.

"So true." Vadous looked amused.

"It's time to put the "Keep Enzan busy with a job" strategy into motion!"

"It's time to put the "Keep Blues busy with a job" strategy into motion!"

Vadous chuckled at their jokes…

10:03 AM (Japan Time)…

"… You summoned me, Commissioner?"

"I did, Ijuuin – kun."

Enzan was standing in front of Kifune's desk: his face was immobile but he seemed to be feeling nervous.

"Firstly… Your actions in trailing both Netto – kun and Saito – kun and trying to act the interrogator do not please me. You don't have authority to do that, Ijuuin – kun. Hikari – hakase has presented his complains."

_Crap. I knew it._ Enzan inwardly cursed.

"Secondly… I believe the cause of your obsession lays in the fact that you haven't been active as of late. Therefore, I assign you to verify if the Reverse Internet organization labeled "The Renegades" do possess "wonder weapons" or not. If they do not, then you are allowed to use any means necessary to stop their activities. Is that clear enough?"

_Chasing a bunch of Reverse Internet jerks who claim to have "wonder weapons"… Why not? A change of airs will suit both of us. _

"You are correct, Commissioner. I will undertake this mission assignment immediately." Enzan politely replied.

"Do report any significant info directly to me, if you may."

"Roger, Commissioner."

"You are dismissed." Kifune announced.

"It could've been worse… Let's get to work, Blues. We've got to hunt some lowlifes down there." Enzan muttered once he'd come out.

"Roger, Enzan – sama. The head office has reported that the new Progress PET model prototypes are working without any noticeable bugs: the Science Labs have acquired some of them for further testing."

"That's good. I'm sure we'll soon be able to release it."

Enzan sighed in relief and formed a smug smile…

12:08 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Kush, kush… Where is my next candidate? Come out… No hard feelings… It is a matter of honor… Kush, kush… Guess it isn't my lucky day after all…? Kush, kush!"

A Net Navi was walking around an area of the Cyber World the floor of which was made of chess squares: the borders were of a pale brown color and water pools were set in several spots: the area inspired tranquility and calmness.

The Navi looked about a meter and ninety tall: he wore a purple half-open cloak over his body the edges of which were colored purple: its main color was navy blue.

His head emerged from a neck-guard which had a shape reminiscent of a badly drawn Alphabet "U" letter yet his mouth and nose were covered by white bandages and the rest of his head was set inside of a small glass dome: his eyes didn't have irises and they were colored yellow: they seemed to be slightly elongated and curved rectangles instead.

Two large "horns" emerged from cyan circles around his shoulders: the circles had a small arrow pointing east and west respectively: these "horns" were colored in a brownish/blackish patch of color: his cloak formed a curved shape around the head which aimed downwards in a 45º angle.

The center of the cloak had his emblem drawn on it which acted like the connecting point for both halves: the drawing was similar to the top part of an axe with short spears point up and down: the whole set was painted in a navy blue color: a small grayish piece was set beneath it: the piece seemed to indicate the end of the upper body.

The legs were colored on that brownish/blackish color, too: the boots had an upper navy blue edge with three sapphire-colored diamonds set on them: the lower half was colored purple and ended just as the place where the tooth fingers should begin at: the feet ended in one single triangle-shaped extension: a small one emerged beneath the feet and seemed to be used as additional support.

"I, the honorable Dark Man, will fight with honor. Kush, kush… No hard feelings, really…!" He muttered.

"Sorry. But I'm not going to add up to _your_ list: you are going to add up to _my_ list instead." A voice rang out.

"Who…?"

The area seemed to lose lighting all of a sudden as energy flew out and built up on one spot of the air: a purple gateway formed and Forte came out of it, gracefully landing on the floor: his upper cloak was slightly open thus displaying a smug smile on his face, for once.

"Y-you're Forte! Kush! I shall not allow you to come any further! Fight like a man! Kush!" Dark Man challenged.

"I don't feel like wasting my energies on the middle – class fishes. I'll go for the elite – class fishes instead. Take a nap." Forte sounded weird today and his eyes had a strange purple glow to them.

"Killer Beam!"

Dark Man's cloak's edge coloring changed to brown and he shot a five-pointed star-shaped beam from his chest emblem towards Forte: he brought his right hand out and a purple-colored Dream Aura formed around him: the Killer Beam bounced off and hit the floor where Dark Man had been at a second ago thus leaving a crater on it.

"Dark Aura! Kush!" He gasped.

"Of course. You're named _Dark_ Man, after all."

"Dark Shadow!"

A black axe with a purple edge formed and shot towards Forte: it bounced off, too, and Forte didn't seem to care.

"So?" He taunted.

"Why, you…! Kush, kush! What does it take to break that?"

"Ask Kami – sama during your nap."

12:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hum! I have heard some kind of commotion… Is something going on around here?"

A Navi was walking across a street in another part of the same area: he was around the same height as Dark Man and wore blue-colored _samurai_ armor over his body: it had a golden-colored band around the waist which was divided by several vertical and thin black lines.

His face was colored in a dull gray color: his mouth was a mere line shaped like a trapeze aiming upwards while a small cubical piece was set on his chin as well and his eyes' irises were brown.

The round shoulders had a yellow band around their half to split into upper and lower portion: three rectangle-shaped plaques of armor extended slightly below the shoulder but before the forearm: each forearm was covered in cyan armor plus a yellow ring around the wrist: the top of the palms had a small dome-shaped yellow-colored object atop them: the arm and hand "skin" was colored black.

Another three layers of armor covered each hip: the pale blue and thick lower body began beneath the torso armor: it ended below the knees from which the feet emerged a piece of armor shaped like the front half of a cylinder covered the black "skin" while the front and rear of each foot were protected by blue armor which had a yellow border: it ended around the ankle and left a small space between each piece.

The neck had a thick yellow metallic band around it which covered all of it expect the front: a _samurai_ helmet covered his head: a yellow-colored metallic piece shaped like a triangle facing forward was set on his helmet's forehead: there was another above it the shape of which was reminiscent of the Alphabet letter "V".

The chest section of the armor had a circular cavity on it with his drawing set on it: it was a black circle followed by a white space and a second black circle: a black dot was set in the middle and three small lines spread from it until the inner border aiming north, SW and SE: each line had an additional curved line cutting through them near the lower end.

"Oi! Dark Man! What are you doing?" He called out.

"Dark Man can't hear ya 'cause he's napping." An amused voice replied close by.

Forte came into the scene and Yamato Man gasped: he suddenly formed a spear on his right hand: the lower end had a metallic cone set on it with a golden band on its center: the rest of it was colored in a dull metallic-like color.

The main body was colored navy blue and its front end was a thin triangle-like formation with a blue edge and golden interior: two small blue dots were set near the north and south ends of it.

The weapon was surrounded by sea blue energy.

"You…! You are alive after all these years…? It matters not! As the former Science Labs Elite Troop Commander… I shall slay you! Demon!" Yamato Man uttered before assuming a fighting pose.

"No hard feelings… Just like you pal said… I just feel like accomplishing a goal I set myself a bunch of years ago…" Forte giggled.

"What the… He doesn't look vengeful or possessed by hate… Has he lost mental sanity?" Yamato Man wondered.

"Dunno. Ask Kami – sama. Jeez. Why do you guys fight when you know it's pointless, anyway? Go and nap for a while." Forte grinned at him.

"Che. Thousand Spear!"

"Cheap, cheap and totally cheap…"

The Dark Aura formed up again and all attacks bounced off it: Forte then hummed the _Star Wars_ tune and looked elsewhere.

"Nice weather." He commented.

"What a thing! Nothing can penetrate that?" Yamato Man gasped.

"Nope. Time for your nap, _samurai_ – sama!"

Forte jumped into the air and dived for Yamato Man…

12:18 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I can sense it. The Demon has come. I knew it would come to this. So be it."

A Navi sat up from having been sitting inside of a small square set atop a set of stairs deeper into the enigmatic area.

His eyes' irises were brown and displayed calm.

Two white ribbons came out from the front of the helmet while another ribbon came out from behind his helmet and pointed upwards.

He wore some kind of white silk pants and strange shoes colored black with a golden stripe near the ankle: he had a golden cross on the waist with a green jewel set on it.

His chest was colored black while his helmet's colored was bright golden: the front of it had two green jewels embed into it.

Two golden armlets with some black stripes were set on his black arms and he also had two golden plates set over his shoulders.

Two curved – shaped lances floated behind him: they were transparent and of a pink – like color.

Overall, he looked around a meter and seventy tall and his mere presence radiated power.

"Come, Demon. I am waiting for you." The Navi muttered without sounding nervous.

As if having heard him, Forte began to walk up the steps leading towards him as his eyes shone with lust: the Navi didn't seem to be impressed given his closed eyes and his folded arms: Forte stopped two steps short of his goal and looked up with a smug smile.

"Serenade. Reverse King. Rank #1. However… You soon shall have gone down in history…" Forte muttered with eagerness.

"Trying to claim the outcome of a battle before it's fought is not wise. Let us fight." Serenade calmly replied without bothering to open his eyes.

"Hell's Buster!"

Serenade merely moved from point to point by predicting where would the shots land at given Forte's body movements and the angles of his weapon.

"Che! Hell's Rolling!"

He shot the two purple spiked wheels towards Serenade: he merely extended his palm forward.

"Holy Shock."

Several spheres of energy floated out and hit Forte in different spots of his body, inflicting heavy damage: however, these wounds began to slowly regenerate by a purplish-like mass.

"… How fitting. You are using the "Dark Power" from Nebula Grey to regenerate them. However… There is a limit to what an abused body like yours can do." Serenade calmly exposed.

"Darkness Overload!"

Serenade merely moved his lances forward: they emitted an energy field which made the attack curve and have it be shot back at its source: it hit Forte fully in the chest and provoked him to fly back and land in the ground, hard.

"How does it feel to be struck down by one's own power? Ironic, is it not Demon?" Serenade calmly questioned.

"Not yet… Not yet…! I have more tricks… under my sleeves…!" Forte hissed as he tried to stand up.

"Do you need a hand? Reverse King." A voice rang out.

Lifting an eyebrow in surprise, Serenade spotted the _Three Musketeers_ standing behind Forte with Omega at the front.

"Ah. It is you warrior gentlemen. I appreciate the noble gesture, but, for the time being, I can handle the situation." Serenade calmly replied with a welcoming smile.

"Earth Breaker!"

Forte was rushing towards Serenade and charging up energy on his right hand.

"Sonic Boom."

Serenade shot a Sonic Boom towards the increasing in size energy mass: it was cut it in half and provoked a sudden instability of the energy and its implosion, wiping out Forte's right forearm and provoking him to fly backwards and crash hard against the ground.

"Ouch… Ouch… However… Experience the power of the _bugs_…!" Forte hissed.

Some grayish data with yellow spots on it crawled out of inside the destroyed forearm and assumed the shape of Gospel's head.

"… Intending to infect me with bugs? My defenses against them are at the maximum. It shall not work." Serenade calmly told him.

"Shaddup… I will gain power… I will become the Ultimate… And I shall have my revenge…!" Forte hissed.

"That is not what you really believe in." Serenade pointed out.

"Gospel Breath…!"

The mouth opened and a stream of flames was shot towards Serenade.

"Sonic Boom."

He shot the Sonic Boom again and hit the interior of the mouth, causing the energy accumulated on it to implosion.

"Gra~h!" Forte roared in agony.

He clutched his damaged forearm and it slowly regenerated thanks to the purplish mass: the hatred on his eyes seemed to be replaced by fear.

"Invincible… It cannot be… That guy is invincible… Those three… Their auras… They are not real Net Navis…! They are… something else, different…! Something… powerful…!" He hissed.

"It is in my policy to be merciful. Do realize that hatred and a lost sense of your own self do not open the road to higher power. That so – called hatred is a cover to hide your confusion, your fears and your doubts to begin with. However… Like any being… There is a moment when the most basic of instincts take over. You cannot claim being one who holds hatred. Somewhere in your soul… There is a wish to forgive. There is a wish to believe that your _creator_ would not something like that to you. It is the nature of all living beings." Serenade calmly exposed.

"My… creator…" Forte muttered.

"Do reflect upon it, Forte. If you do… You shall realize that your so-called hatred holds no meaning and is no more than a façade to hide your real self." Serenade announced.

"Shit… I lost… I lost…! Even thought I have such power…! I shall… return one day…! So long… You got lucky, damn it all!" Forte hissed.

He hit the floor with his intact forearm: energy flew out of it and formed his classical gateway: still snarling, he jumped inside of it and it immediately closed: light returned to the area.

"There he goes: he is, after all, a confused young one." Serenade muttered.

"We were worried over his absorption of Nebula Grey."

"Might I ask why he said you are not "real" Navis?" Serenade asked.

"We would like to, Reverse King, but we are not allowed to."

"Fine. Did you check on Dark Man and Yamato Man?"

"Their programs were shut down: we restored them on our way here and they feel somewhat ashamed of having failed to slow him down." Omega reported.

"Good. Well then… Let us meet again."

"Delighted."

_Today was one of those interesting days…_

21:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Long live to Specter Man – sama!"

A group of eight Reverse Internet Navis was kneeling in front of a Navi: the group seemed to be inside of the old Gospel HQ adjacent to Kotobuki Square.

He looked like a regular Navi and was about a meter and eighty tall. He had black shades over his eyes and he was smiling in an evil manner: his ear pads were empty and black.

He had a large mark on the top of helmet indicating that he had been hit by what had the looks of a sword in that spot.

His emblem was the Alphabet letter "S" painted silver in a blurry and irregular manner and set against a navy blue background.

He carried a sword sheath attached to a black belt with the _Kanji_ for the word _obake_ or "specter" set on the middle of it plus he also carried a black shield with purple patterns attached to his back.

"Comrades! We, the "Renegades", have taken the oath to make the Reverse Internet glorious! We will overthrow the upper Internet and our Reverse Internet will be the dominant one! Say it again after me!"

"Overthrow the upper Internet! Make our Reverse Internet the dominant one!" The eight Navis chanted at the same time.

"Excellent! I can see the determination in you! You show promise! Remember! We have to keep a low profile. Rest, my comrades! You will need every ounce of strength to carry out our oath! That is all. You're dismissed!"

"Long live to Specter Man – sama!"

"Go!"

The Navis stood up, saluted and formed a queue to head out: Specter Man headed over to the entrance and closed it by attaching a large paper sheet to make it look like it'd been sealed up: he touched the far wall next.

"It's not a Gamma as in Guillotine, and it's not an Epsilon as in Executioner, either… It's Delta, as in Death!" He announced.

A black-colored vortex opened and Specter Man stepped inside of it: he found himself inside of a big lab with several vertical cylindrical capsules set inside of it as well as bundles of wires travelling across the blue-colored and tiled ground: the capsules were all painted black, so that no one could see their contents.

"Heh!"

He walked down an alley between the two rows which had a red carpet: he eventually reached a black onyx throne: someone was sitting there.

The person was dressed in a silver and black tunic with some bones drawn into it which covered all the way down to the feet and its sleeves were joined together to hide the forearms: a heavy hood hid the face as well: they didn't seem to be even a meter and sixty tall.

Specter Man kneeled in front of the figure and put his right arm in his chest while closing that hand.

"Delta – sama." He saluted.

"How much progress today?" Their voice sounded distorted.

"We have eight recruits: I appointed all of them to be "sleepers"..."

"Good. We'll need the "sleepers" so as to keep track of the movements around the Reverse Internet and the Reverse Square." Delta replied.

"Can I ask how things are in your front?" Specter Man asked.

"The agent has proven very useful in recovering the backup data. As I had guessed, nobody bothered to look for it." Delta replied.

"Reconstruction is in progress?" Specter Man assumed.

"Yeah. Brainwashing will come later." Delta dully answered.

"The Officials have fallen for your perfect strategy, sir."

"Hmpf. So they have. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" Delta sounded amused.


	14. Chapter 14: Black ops

**Chapter 14: Black ops**

22:04 PM (Japan Time), Thursday January the 17th…

"… Huh… Unh… Huh… Huff!"

Saito was tossing around inside of his bed and rolling over: he looked like he was having trouble sleeping.

_All those exams…! Even though I could clear all of them with 10s if I wished to, I purposely set my recent memory routines at random to make it fairer: even so, I always get 7s and 8s like Yaito – chan… And suddenly becoming Netto – kun's "lover" has changed me, too… Now we tend to make out once per day… And even though we always end up relaxed and everything after it… I don't feel like it tonight. And to think we cleared those exams about two weeks ago, yet they keep on chasing me… I should ask Vadous – san if there's a way to lock or delete unnecessary data…_

He tossed some of the covers out and tried to place his body facing towards Netto's bed, at his left: he spotted his open mouth and he was snoring.

_Netto – kun. There he goes. He's surely thinking about that "Maha Special" dish. Those guys have been behaving well, but I don't feel like trusting them 100% yet. I know that the Net Police are keeping tabs on them, but… Grah. That face makes me wanna sneak downstairs into the kitchen and having something as a snack! Netto – kun! Why couldn't you think of something else which wasn't food? Anyway… I've heard that IPC is gonna release a new model of PET! The PET II came out in August, it hasn't been half a year yet and they wanna bring another one out! They sure must be desperate to beat Yaito – chan's games… _

He then placed his body face-up and his hands behind his head: he managed to close his eyes and seemed to be slowly relaxing.

_Finally! I feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. Good night, Netto – kun! _

He formed a grin on his face and soon began to breathe like he did when sleeping: Netto's PET II screen flashed purple for a split second before resuming its normal coloring.

**# Status Report *3A89*#**

**DATE & TIME: 17/01/2010, 22:07:33 PM (JAPAN TIME)…**

**ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL…**

**INITIATING THREAT SCAN…**

**WARNING!**

**UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL DETECTED OUTSIDE OF SECURITY GATE #1!**

**INCREASE SECURITY MEASURES TO LEVEL 5!**

**SCANNING THREAT…**

**ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT "DARK POWER" COMPOSES 75% OF THE THREAT…**

**CONCLUSION: BLACK HAT!**

**SEND EMERGENCY SIGNAL TO UNITS B, O AND S…**

**SIGNAL RECEIVED…**

**UNITS B, O AND S EN ROUTE…**

**ETA: 55 SECONDS…**

**INTRUDER STOPPED AT SECURITY LEVEL 3: USING "MAZE" SUBDEFENSE: INTRUDER CONFUSED: "MAZE" SUBDEFENSE EFFECTIVENESS IN REAL INTRUSION STATUS CONFIRMED…**

**UNITS REPORTING IN…**

**DISPATCHING THROUGH LEVELS 1, 2 & 3…**

**UNITS ENGAGING THREAT…**

**CALCULATED RATE OF SUCCESS: 100%**

**CALCULATED RATE OF FAILURE: 0.00%**

**THREAT RETREATING THROUGH AUXILIARY WI-FI CONNECTION: UNITS CANCELLING COMBAT MODE…**

**\\\\ OS V 2.5.2 \\\\**

**WRITING SECURITY REPORT…**

**REPORT COMPLETED…**

**SENDING COPIES TO SECURITY UNITS AND TO OWNER EMAIL ACCOUNT…**

**COPIES RECEIVED…**

**ANALYZING ENTRY MODE…**

**THREAT USED "WI-FI PET LINK" TO TRY AND GAIN ACCESS…**

**RECOMMENDED ACTION: INSTALL DNA SCANNER FOR 'WI-FI PET LINK' TO REDUCE PROBABILITIES OF FUTURE INTRUSIONS…**

**DAMAGE SUSTAINED: NONE TO CRITICAL SYSTEMS GIVEN HOW INTRUDER DID NOT MAKE IT PAST SECURITY LEVEL 3…**

**SLIGHT DAMAGE TO SECURITY GATE 3…**

**TYPE OF DAMAGE: LEVEL 2 CLASS DAMAGE…**

**DEFINITION OF LEVEL 2 CLASS DAMAGE: BUSTER – TYPE ATTACK CLOCKING AT 5 HP PER ATTACK… NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 5 ATTACKS… TOTAL DAMAGE: 25 HP… **

**DISPATCHING REPAIR NANOMACHINES…**

**ESTIMATED REPAIR TIME: 2.8 SECONDS…**

**DAMAGE FIXED…**

**SECURITY UNITS LOGGING OUT THROUGH EMERGENCY HI-POWER ENCRYPTED VPN TUNNEL…**

**ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL… **

**NO FURTHER ABNORMALITIES DETECTED…**

**WRAPPING UP NIGHT SCAN…**

**SYSTEM HIBERNATION…**

22:11 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Vr~um…"

Delta's throne was empty: the only sounds were the humming of the capsules and the rest of the lab's lighting had been dimmed down: it looked devoid of life.

"Huff, huff!"

Some data suddenly formed and assembled to give way to Delta: they sat down on the throne while panting: they then looked at its tunic's sleeves and seemed to be nervous.

"… Crap. What security…! Where the heck did that "maze" pop out from, anyway? Luckily enough there was an auxiliary route… I managed to run out before those three Navis could corner me…! Close, way too close for my taste…! Okay… That info I got from that guy before he died didn't take security into account…!" Delta muttered.

Delta stepped down from the throne and walked through the alley while stopping to look at each capsule for some seconds: Delta then glanced at a cubicle built directly north of the throne.

"Well… Given how this place is built upon a secure server… I don't have to fear any "unwanted" visits. I better go and rest: the days ahead of me will be busy enough trying to pull off my "Scheme". Hmpf. Official Net Battlers…! Come at us and fall for that smoke curtain. By the time you guys get here… I'll have a "welcome committee" eagerly waiting for you guys… Heh, heh, heh." Delta muttered with a hint of amusement.

Delta stretched and headed towards the cubicle: it contained a small bedroom with a bed and a small desk: they let out a yawn.

"Anyway… Let's hit the sack… I feel tired and it's no wonder. I fired 5 attacks in a row and was about to go for higher-power stuff when I was forced to run out… Yeah… Tomorrow will be a fresher day… And good stuff is waiting… Heh, heh, heh…"

_This is just the beginning, Officials!_

07:55 AM (Japan Time), Friday January the 18th…

"… Found you."

"Crap!"

"Speak."

"Go ahead! Delete me!"

"I won't fall for that trick."

"Clever bothersome guy!"

"Do you lowlife know who I am?"

"The Official's Ace Net Navi: Blues EXE!"

Blues had cornered a Reverse Internet Navi somewhere within it and was aiming a Long Sword at its neck as the guy leant his back against a column and looked panicked.

"Hmpf. My reputation didn't get rusted, then." He muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Go ahead! Delete me!"

"Not yet. You lowlife are useful."

"Not – gonna – talk!" The Navi challenged.

"Oh? Maybe you prefer you lowlifes' creditors to me?" Blues offered with a hint of sarcasm.

"No~! I'll talk!" He gasped.

"What is you lowlifes' goal?"

"Our "Wonder Weapons" will allow us to gain control of the Reverse Internet and then invade the upper Internet!" The Navi boasted with some confidence.

"Hmpf. What rubbish."

"What!"

"Before even getting control of the Reverse Internet, you'd have to challenge "S"… Did you lowlife knew that?"

"Uo~h! Challenge "S"…? I thought S – sama would agree with it!" The Navi gasped.

"His interest is to keep you lowlifes controlled to some extent."

"Damn!"

"So? Who is you lowlifes' _leader_?"

"Specter Man – sama: the Envoy of the Afterworld!"

"I'm so trembling in fear by now." Blues dully told him.

"How dare you!"

"Where is that guy?"

"Dunno! Ask S – sama, since you seem to be so friendly with His Grace to begin with!" The guy challenged.

"Hmpf. The creditors are waiting out there."

"Uo~h! G… Gospel HQ!"

"What? Didn't that place get deleted after the servers blew up?" Enzan muttered.

"I dunno! But the place is still there! However! Specter Man – sama foresaw this. He's set up a "Dark Power" door which only "Dark Power" Net Navis can open!" The guy announced.

"Crap. We'll have to find a way to open that." Enzan muttered.

"It's impossible! Heh, heh, heh… Hah, hah, ha~h!"

"Blues. Return. Leave that guy like that: the creditors will save us the bothersome time of having to delete him."

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

"O-oi! Wait!"

"There it is!"

"Get his head!"

"Dismember him!"

"Behead him!"

"Mutilate him!"

"He stole 5.000 off me!"

"7.500!"

"12.400!"

"He tricked us with a new "Ultra Perfect Camouflage Device" which doesn't do anything!"

A crowd of about ten Reverse Internet Net Navis was marching towards him while sporting all kinds of weapons: the Navi ran for it while Blues looked on from an upper platform.

"Pit lowlifes against themselves: _And Then There Were None_. I find fitting somehow." Enzan muttered with a hint of irony.

"What are we going to do about that "Dark Power" door, though, Enzan – sama?" Blues asked.

"Good question. Guess we'll have to find a way to open it." Enzan sighed in defeat.

"… You people! Settle it down! I am Rank #7: and, by the rules of the Reverse Internet, I forbid any mutilations! You! Give them back their money and then get outta here!" A voice exclaimed.

"Shoo! You guys are too stiff! This is the Reverse Internet!"

"If you don't like the rules, then go elsewhere. But no mutilations are gonna happen in _our_ watch."

"Don't mind them, Blues. Plug Out."

"Roger, Enzan – sama."

07:59 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Fua~h…! I slept perfectly. Yo! Niisan! Good morning."

"… Morning."

Netto woke up to spot Saito sitting next to the computer and holding the PET II on his right hand: he looked concerned.

"What's up?" Netto asked.

"Here. Read." Saito sighed.

Netto picked the PET II and read something: he gasped and looked up from it.

"Somebody tried to posses your body this night?" Netto was stunned.

"And it had Dark Power on him or her. But it was not an absolutely "Dark Soul" Navi: the scans showed that just three quarters of it had the Dark Power." Saito explained.

"What a nice surprise that Vadous - san foresaw that scenario and developed a powerful security system. We should thank him when we see him." Netto sighed in relief.

"Yeah… But let's not tell Mama. I don't wanna fret her."

"O. K. You look like you didn't sleep much, though."

"Your face, Netto – kun! That face when dreaming of curry… I couldn't focus!" Saito protested.

"Ops. Heh, heh, heh." Netto scratched the back of his head and blushed a lot.

"Jeez! You almost tempted me to sneak out and steal a snack off the kitchen! I had to look at the ceiling to avoid it!" Saito sounded exasperated by now.

"Sorry, sorry!" Netto apologized.

Saito sighed in defeat while Netto blushed…

11:11 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Delta – sama? Are you alright?"

Specter Man was knocking into Delta's door.

_Master must've been working too much. _

The door suddenly opened and Delta stepped out: the hood had partly fallen and it revealed that a mask was covering their face.

The mask was colored white and it had a circular shape: two narrow slits allowed for two red eyes to see.

A speaker was set on place of the mouth.

"Uh… Specter Man… What's up?"

"You seem tired, my Master." Specter Man pointed out.

"Huh? What time is it, anyway?" Delta let out a large yawn.

"11: 12 AM." Specter Man announced.

"A~RGH! SO LATE~!"

Delta ran forward in a blur and quickly began to type into each capsule's control panel at a mad speed to bring out several holographic screens which hovered in the air.

"What's wrong, Master?"

"I went to sleep late. I tried to infiltrate a system with very advanced security and had to run out before the security corps cornered me: the whole sprinting took a lot of energy outta me."

"Oh. I see. By the way… One agent was exposed."

"Whatever. They'll keep on believing we're show-offs, anyway. They won't take us seriously!" Delta shrugged.

"Roger."

"Officials… My "Scheme" will overwhelm you guys…"

12:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Someone with 75% of Dark Power tried to hijack Saito's body… Who the hell could it be?"

Vadous was reading the status report on the big LCD screen inside of the largely unlit room which seemed to be part of his base of operations: he was sporting his body armor sans the helmet.

"When the three Musketeers got at the scene, they'd already fled through the Auxiliary Route… Hmmm… Care to give out any ideas, Omega?" He asked.

Omega, who'd been invisible, became visible: he was standing right behind Vadous' revolving chair.

"It cannot have been any normal grunt: that's for sure. Maybe it's a secret Dark Power Navi Regal had programmed as a backup or someone who survived by hiding in the Nebula Hole Area?" Omega suggested.

"Hmmm… Maybe… We should tip the Net Police into having a look into Nebula's computers just in case." Vadous suggested.

"Okay. I'll go check on the men. See you later, Boss. And do tell Mr. Brutus to shave his Mohawk hair." Omega grinned.

"I get the irony." Vadous muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh. _Channel ZZZ V2_ strikes anew."

"Jeez. Stop making up silly names." Vadous grumbled.

"Call Silly Man."

"Silly Man… What originality, really…" Vadous rolled his eyes.

"Nope! Brutus Man and Brute Man will fight to the death in the most epic duel of the Covenant's history!"

"Sigma is starting to influence you, even… What a crew." Vadous muttered with a hint of defeatism.

Omega made a broad grin while Vadous slapped his face in defeat…


	15. Chapter 15: Schemes

**Chapter 15: Schemes**

17:17 PM (Japan Time), Friday January the 18th…

"… Heh, heh, heh. This is so easy~! And they pay well for this stuff, too, so… I have a personal motive to pick it up, too."

A Net Navi was working in seemingly retrieving data from a set of HDD devices placed inside of a dusty Cyber World.

He looked about a meter and seventy tall.

His helmet design was peculiar: the central part was colored red while the sides were colored blue: the sides extended upwards and formed a shape reminiscent of "horns" while his eyes' irises' color was purple.

His upper torso had two red plaques of armor over his usual blue armor: his shoulders and arms before the elbow were exposed, revealing the black "skin".

His forearms design included a gray-colored fund extending from around the elbow until the palm: a yellow diamond-shaped object was set in top of each palm plus a small blue-colored piece reminiscent of a bird's elongated wings: his fingers were covered in white "gloves".

Two blue wings with some vertical white stripes on them formed behind of his body as well.

The sides of his main body were colored black together with a thin red stripe which marked the border with the central body, colored white as well.

His boots began around the knees and were colored navy blue: they ended in two-fingered feet which seemed to be a bird's talons.

His emblem, drawn into his ear pads, was a blue-colored bird's silhouette as seen from the sides: its wings were open in a 45º angle and the drawing seemed to suggest movement.

"Heh, heh, heh. What good timing, really! Dr. Regal – sama commanded me, "Darkloid" Swallow Man, to go check on the Reverse Square…"

He made a pause and downloaded something.

"And… By the time I come back, I find everything's ended and I'm the only "Darkloid" left… Well… Using this data, I can resurrect my companions, so… We'll just start anew." He muttered aloud.

"That's as far as you come." A voice rang out.

Swallow Man gasped and turned around: there didn't seem to be anyone else present but him.

"Who…?"

"Scope Gun!"

A shot rang out and a laser bolt hit his right hip: he made a grimace and clutched it as he kept on looking around.

"You lowlife! Show your hide!"

"Hmpf. Fine."

Someone stepped forward and a Net Navi's silhouette could be vaguely seen as a distortion in the air.

"Stealth camouflage device…! Military…?" Swallow Man hissed and grumbled under his breath.

"Correct."

The Net Navi reverted out of stealth camouflage mode and revealed himself: Swallow Man gasped.

"Y-you're…!"

The Net Navi certainly did look like a military model.

His helmet included a band around the forehead which circled the whole diameter of the head and a band crossing from the middle of the helmet to the other side forming an arch: the pads were placed above the ears.

Orange-tinted hair could be seen covering the sides and read part of the head: the iris color was red yet the eyes almost looked like camera lenses.

The upper body was protected by green body armor which contained some patches of lush green: it had the general form of a protective vest. Two round metallic plates with a grayish border were placed directly above his shoulders to protect them.

Next was the left forearm, which had a circle around the wrist and a "scope" sign colored brown and set atop a black circle over the left hand could be seen: his right forearm, in comparison, had a gun built into it which included a cone-shaped trigger: it looked deadly enough.

The legs, starting at around the hips, were also covered in armor which included two oval-shaped circles around the knees: the boots had a square-like end.

The Navi's lower body was exposed and his black "skin" could be clearly seen starting under the upper torso armor.

The Navi had a pyramid-shaped green spot exactly over his chin, carried a small microphone for radio communication emerged from the right side of his helmet while his left eye was covered by a small piece of an LCD visor which seemed to be there to display information.

His overall height seemed to be around a meter and seventy tall.

"Search Man…! The Sharo Nation Officials' Ace Net Navi…! Rumors about you were abundant in the Reverse Square…!"

"The backup data only contains the personality file and frame design: it alone won't allow you to resurrect them. And the equipment in this facility was destroyed, too, beyond repair." Search Man announced.

"Hmpf! So you suspected someone like me would try to come after this data and waited here?" Swallow Man guessed.

"Correct. Whom do you work for? Your earlier monologue hinted at someone paying for this."

"Mr. Brown: a King Land guy, I'd say. His Navi is named Eddie P. and you often find him in the Reverse Internet close to Gibraltar so I guess he's a patriotic guy." Swallow Man grumbled and sounded annoyed.

"So you realize my potential is above yours. Fine. I'll let you go since I have the info I need." Search Man lowered the gun.

"Whatever! I'll find another employer sooner or later! I'm off"

Swallow Man picked a data cube and flew across the air past Search Man: he disengaged his microphone and LCD visor to then head towards the HDD pile: he heard a melody coming out of them.

"What's that?" He wondered.

"… Please remain connected. Your request is being forwarded to the Department of Universal Catastrophes headed by _Comrade_ Rupert, sitting on his Moscow office overseeing the Red Square from the NNW at a 15th floor's height. Please remain connected." A voice announced.

"Comrade Rupert…? Was he about to call a "middle man" and he forgot the communications device on his way out?" Search Man wondered.

"Comrade Rupert says that the Soviet Union's resurrection is only a matter of exactly 160 hours, 33 minutes and 16 seconds…"

"Six days, 16 hours, 33 minutes and 11 seconds…? This guy is plotting something with the military, then…?"

"Search Man." A voice called out through his radio.

"Laika – sama."

"Try to figure where the other end of the call is at."

"… Ho, ho, ho! I am Rupert: I shall soon be the new Leader of the new Soviet Union! Ho, ho, ho! You capitalists can start trembling in fear: nothing shall stop me! Ho, ho, ho! Oi! Swallow Man! Tell them clearly enough: I _WILL_ be in charge! Oi! Swallow Man! Didn't you hear me? Just because I'm the "middle man" between you and Brown that doesn't mean you can ignore me! Huh? Wait! Something's wrong!" A man exclaimed over the line.

"Of course it is: Swallow Man isn't here."

"Che. Gotta scram… Farewell!" The man grumbled.

17:23 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Commissioner Kifune."

"Oh! You're Laika – kun, then. I was told you were investigating if Nebula had had any connections to some parties in your country… Welcome to Japan."

"Thank you, sir."

Laika was a young man who seemed to be on his mid-teens: he could be over a meter and sixty tall.

His hair was azure-colored and his eyes' iris was blue.

He sported what seemed to be a military raincoat colored lush green: it had a small pocket on the left side of the torso.

The neck was colored red plus a brown band on the rear side and it was tall enough to hide his mouth: it also included a small red triangle pointing downwards which had a drawing set on it.

The drawing was reminiscent of a tree with two curved branches aiming upwards and another two at the base of it aiming downwards: a shield surrounded the drawing and the set was painted in a goldenrod coloring.

The shoulders and forearms were colored ground brown and he had a red band past his left shoulder with the "scope" drawing on it.

Laika also had white leather gloves on plus a red cap over his head: he sported brown military boots as well.

"We have found intriguing information, sir."

"Oh! Is that so?"

"We intercepted the surviving "Darkloid", Swallow Man EXE, recovering some backup data of his companions from the Nebula Base: he hinted at being employed by a man named "Mr. Brown" who seems to live in Gibraltar: he forgot a communications device which had a call patched with a "middle man" named "Rupert": he seems to be part of a scheme to bring the Soviet Union back in less than a week from now."

"What!"

"Laika – sama: the analysis is complete. The other end of the line was not encrypted, yet… It led to a phone cabin 39 Km SSE from our current location, sir. It is highly probable that a Net Navi was waiting inside and acted to make us believe in such a plot, sir." Search Man deduced.

"… Yet, as I suspected, it was a fabrication. And I don't totally believe the tale about this "Mr. Brown", either." Laika explained.

"Hum! I see. So he must be working by someone who has the knowledge and technology to resurrect "Darkloids"." Kifune brought the right hand to his chin.

"I would like to request of a permit to investigate the Reverse Square: Swallow Man admitted having heard from us there. We might get a hold of some deal or another." Laika requested.

"Permission granted: use any methods necessary. If needed, I can put you in contact with Ijuuin – kun, the Japan Officials' Ace Net Battler: he has a very "mission" approach and he's also investigating a Reverse Internet organization named the "Renegades" which claim of holding "wonder weapons"… Maybe there's a link somewhere." Kifune suddenly seemed to think about it.

"It could be, sir. Maybe they're purposely portraying their selves as weak and arrogant so as to make people believe they are not worth a second glance…" Laika seemed to agree with it.

"Is your accommodation already arranged for, though?"

"Yes, sir. I have booked a room in the Marine Hotel. I hope to have concluded my investigation in 7 days from now."

"Good. Well then… Good luck."

"Thank you very much, sir." Laika calmly saluted.

"We will work our hardest, sir." Search Man added.

"I don't question it. Go."

17: 28 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Yo! Specter Man. Open up. It's me."

"Ah. Swallow Man. I've been waiting for you."

Swallow Man entered into the Gospel HQ area and walked down the corridor along with Specter Man.

"I got Cosmo Man's data at last: it took time to break through all the protections it had. That device proved useful: I managed to buy some time by keeping Search Man busy with it." He told him.

"Heh, heh. I liked playing the "receptionist" and "Rupert" to fool him for a little while: I'm sure they'll start linking it to us eventually but they stand no chance of getting to the bottom of this just by deleting me." Specter Man chuckled.

"Yeah. So? Is the reconstruction progressing?"

"Yeah. Cloud Man and Blizzard Man are almost complete. Shade Man is about three quarters and now we can finally start on Cosmo Man: I guess we'll be done in a few days from now."

"Don't forget about my reward."

"Sure. Here you have."

Specter Man formed a "Dark Chip" on his right hand: Swallow Man handed him the cube and picked the "Dark Chip": purple streaks of energy flew outta it and surrounded his body.

"Ah. Refreshing… And don't worry: I'm rationing them. But that shot in the hip was pestering me so much… Wanna me to do something else?"

"Yeah. Go make a ruckus at the Science Labs and prove them that the "Darkloids" are not to be looked down upon."

"Delighted… If anything happens, I'll be hiding in the usual spot."

"Perfect. Good luck."

Swallow Man formed a smug smile and chuckled under his breath…

17:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Warning! Level 1 Breach! Warning!"

"Damn! Who's broken in?"

"A swallow-like Navi…"

Yuuichirou rushed into the Mother Computer room: some employees had connected their PETs to it.

"He's breaking through the defenses and heading for the Project Database at top speed! No good!" One reported.

"Damn! If they get there, they'll find the data for the new "Copy Roid" project for the World Fair Meeting which is going to be held in Cyber City's Central Town in the summer!" Yuuichirou cursed.

"Allow us, Hikari – hakase."

Enzan rushed inside and Yuuichirou calmly nodded to him.

"Do excuse me. I think two will be better."

Laika stepped in and everyone looked surprised.

"Oh! You're Laika – kun from Sharo Nation: Commissioner Kifune let me know about you. Go ahead." Yuuichirou invited.

"Thank you. I guess you won't care, right, Ijuuin?"

"We're wasting time already. Plug In! Blues, Transmission!"

"Plug In! Search Man, Transmission!"

Both Navis rushed inside and soon spotted a trail of beaten down Official Net Navis and Program – kuns: a large gateway had been rammed into several times until it had given it: they could see someone manipulating the database and chuckling in a low tone of voice as it seemingly browsed through it.

"Who goes there?" Blues demanded.

"Identify yourself."

"Oho! Oho! Search Man! Don't tell me you already forgot me and _Comrade_ Rupert… it hasn't been 50 minutes yet!" A voice replied.

Swallow Man turned around while having a smug smile on his face and his body still glowing with the purple aura: he looked amused.

"Swallow Man. How did you make this far?"

"Can't you tell why with that magnificent LCD visor of yours, Soldier – sama~?" He taunted.

"Damn. A "Dark Chip"…"

"A "Dark Chip", you say! Then… That guy is the missing "Darkloid"?" Blues gasped.

"Yeah. What have you taken from there?"

"I think hakase – sama already knows it." He taunted.

"Damn." Yuuichirou hissed.

"The "Copy Roid Project" files…?" Enzan guessed.

"Yeah… Nice stuff. I could easily get a million by auctioning this in the middle of Reverse Square."

"I doubt "S" will let you." Blues replied.

"Huh! "S" steps into that?" Swallow Man gasped.

"Yeah. Once he gets a hold, I'm sure he'll even personally come to stop you: he's there to impose some control in the Reverse Internet, after all! But if you wanna go ahead and fight him, then do it. He'll beat you to an inch of your life and then call the Officials to arrest you." Blues taunted with a grin.

"Che." Swallow Man grumbled.

"Reply this: does "Mr. Brown" exist or are you working for the "Renegades"?" Search Man questioned.

"Ask Kami – sama~!" He shot back.

"The "theme" of the World Fair is to be "Harmony between Science and Nature", and the Copy Roids are intended to be the central piece of it given how they will revolutionize Navi – human interaction… We can't let that villain steal them! Go!" Yuuichirou commanded.

"Heh, heh, heh. Come at me. I'll beat you up. Swallow Drive!"

Swallow Man jumped into the air and suddenly dived towards both Navis: they quickly jumped out of the way but Blues landed on his back and plunged a Long Sword into his body from behind: Search Man shot an attack at his forehead and he got stunned for a moment: Blues then kicked the back of his head and made his crash against the ground with a large groan.

"Why, you~!" He roared.

"Hmmm?"

Blues spotted a data cube still connected to the database and sliced it on half: it got deleted.

"No! Shit! The data…!" Swallow Man cursed.

"Phew!" Yuuichirou sighed in relief.

"Damn it! Swallow…!"

"Slow."

Before Swallow Man could finish his announcement, Blues had already jumped behind him and plunged his Long Sword into the previously made wound: it emerged from the front and Swallow Man groaned something under his breath.

"D-damn…! Gotta retreat…! Battle Chip, Count Bomb!"

He dropped a Count Bomb and used its explosion as a cover to run out before both Navis could recover.

"The enemy has fled." Search Man reported.

"Go back to your bird's nest and rot in there." Enzan muttered.

17:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huh? A call… Hello?"

"Netto? Saito. It's me."

"Papa!"

Netto and Saito were playing _Great Melee Smash Brothers X_ on their Wii console while at home when Netto's PET II rang: they stopped the game and he replied to the call.

"I've got news: the missing "Darkloid", Swallow Man EXE, tried to steal data off the Mother Computer a few minutes ago. Luckily, Blues and a Sharo Nation Net Navi, Search Man, managed to intercept him and impede his actions." Yuuichirou explained to them.

"Whoa. Sharo Nation Net Navi… Military model?" Netto asked with a whistle of surprise.

"Yeah. His Operator is named Laika – kun. Maybe I'll introduce you to him one day. But you should make that info reach Vadous – san: we believe Swallow Man is working for the "Renegades" and his job is to retrieve Darkloid data for them to rebuild." Yuuichirou explained.

"So the "wonder weapons" thing was a distraction, then!" Saito muttered with a hint of surprise.

"No doubt. But I'm sure that if you tell Vadous – san, they'll be able to give us a hand in rounding them up." Yuuichirou instructed.

"O. K. Leave it up to us, Papa." Netto grinned.

"And please try to come back one day: home doesn't feel the same without you, Papa!" Saito added.

"True… I really should." Yuuichirou rolled his eyes.

"Heh, heh! O. K. Let's see whose score ends up higher, niisan!"

"Come anytime!" Saito challenged.

They resumed playing the game…

18:38 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Delta – sama. By your orders, sir, I managed to compile a report about the man known as "Vadous"… Please have a look at it, sir."

Specter Man was kneeling in front of Delta and having a data file on his hands: Delta picked it up.

"Good. Let's see… Supposed real name… Nationality: apparently Japanese. Age: on his early twenties. He commands an organization labeled the "Subspace" and is commander of the three mysterious Navis seen around the world ever since July… He also has ties to the mysterious "Committee" and seemingly provides some of its funding…" Delta read aloud with a hint of intrigue.

Delta then seemingly switched pages and read something else.

"He seems to chase any organized crime and is fond of provoking the enemy to make a move and stick their arms out… Nebula suddenly sprung into action because they fell for this trap… I see. So he rather prefers to force them to make the first move thus revealing their selves and paving the way for the Officials to kick them… Hmpf."

He switched pages again and seemed to get interested.

"Overall interest in making things easier for both Officials and the Net Saviors… Net Saviors…! Those bothersome guys…! It's been deduced that all of his Navis are above "S" License, maybe closer to "SS", but their commander could be very well be holding the famed "SSS" License like Blues or Rock Man EXE… Rock Man…! That bothersome guy…! I've neglected the guy for way too long. And this changes today! I've got an idea already…! Specter Man!" He grumbled.

"Command me."

"Have this."

He tossed him a Count Bomb the timer of which was off: Specter Man bowed and seemed to catch the message.

"Please leave it to me."

18:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Fua~h… You won me by two lives… I was so close…!"

"Heh, heh."

Netto was yawning after they finished playing and Saito looked amused at his reaction.

"I'll go for a little while to the new district: maybe I'll be able to get a hold of a new Program Advance." Saito announced.

"Sure, Mr. Advance." Netto joked.

Saito grinned and closed his eyes: he suddenly appeared inside of the TV and blinked Netto an eye before exiting it and into the Cyber World: he hummed a tune and looked around.

"Plenty of stuff… Let's go to the new area."

He spotted a road leading south and began to walk across it: he suddenly slowed down and looked around.

"Wait. If I recall, this new road is built directly above…" He muttered while seemingly recalling.

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… BE~EP!

Three quick beeps rang out in a row followed by a large pitched beep: the middle of the road suddenly exploded and Rock Man barely managed to cling into the ledge which was crumbling.

"N-no good…! If I fall from here then…! Ah! No good! Ne-Netto – kun! Give me a hand! Oi! Netto – kun! Area Steal! Transfer me Area Steal!"

"Heh, heh, heh." A chuckle rang out.

"Who…?"

BE~EP!

Another explosion rang out and this segment collapsed as well thus dragging Rock Man towards unseen depths…

18:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Was it me or did an explosion sound like coming from way above us right now?"

"Grrr…"

"You heard it, huh? Huh? What's this?"

Forte stepped into a section of the Reverse Internet filled with what obvious was debris from the road: he found Rock Man lying face-down on the ground amidst some of them: he was obviously out cold.

"That young one… Rock Man? I heard about his exploits…" Forte sounded curious.

"Grrr!"

"Yeah. I know he beat your "brother", but… Hey. It was his duty, you know. "Gospel"…" Forte told the beat.

"Grfh!"

"Gospel" headed towards a corner and lied there while being seemingly offended: Forte shrugged and picked Rock Man to then place him atop a large slab made of stone.

"He looks young… Hmmm… Maybe…? It would be a bit rude, I think, but, nevertheless… It's worth trying it out." He muttered.

He took out his right gloved hand from inside of the cloak and pressed it against Rock Man's forehead: his eyes slowly opened but they lack the usual sparkle of consciousness to them.

"… _Bwah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h! The only thing left to do is to press this switch and the world will be _deleted_!" _

"… _This talk is over! With this, the world will be _delete~d_!" _

"… _Netto – kun… The Dream Virus…"_

"_T-the D-D-D-Dream Virus…! What the, what the, what the hell are you telling me~? The proof of my WWW's blood, sweat and tears…!"_

"… _My name is Zero…"_

"… _The "Ultimate Navi"…! Its name… Forte!"_

"_What a monster!"_

Forte lifted his hand off Rock Man's forehead and his eyes closed: he then sighed while closing his eyes.

_By believing in others, he was able to draw power to fight all those enemies… And he's come all the way to this point. Full Synchro… Resonance with the Operator… But… Something is bothering me. Why would someone bother to build such a complex way for him to live in the real world? Yet again… I guess that a "Dimensional Area" is too big and too much of a hassle… _

"… O~w… I knew it: that road was built directly above the Reverse Internet…! Who the hell blew it up…?" Rock Man groaned.

He slowly sat up and pressed his right hand against his forehead but without opening his eyes.

"You awake?" Forte asked.

Rock Man blinked several times and then gasped upon spotting Forte: he looked nervous.

"T-the "real" Forte…?" He asked.

"Ah. True. You had to fight that cheap imitation."

"… You've been reading some of my memories, haven't you?" Rock Man asked of him.

"Yeah. Curiosity picked me."

"Huh… I thought you were way more hostile…"

"I'm not so sure about how I'm supposed to be anymore. 20 years roaming around without speaking to anyone is enough to totally drive you crazy… My consciousness is a mess by now."

"Is that so…?" Rock Man looked surprised.

"Anyway… Did the road explode?"

"Yeah. Two bombs were set on it and it was deliberate: I heard someone close by chuckling at it. But I dunno who it was."

"Hmmm… Maybe those "Renegades" guys?"

"Ah… Maybe… But I haven't tried to butt into their stuff… Or maybe they wanted to make me be deleted by the high-level Viruses here while I was unconscious…" Rock Man muttered.

"Rock Man! What happened? Are you alright?" Netto asked.

"Somehow, Netto – kun…"

"Grrr…"

Rock Man gasped and spotted "Gospel" looking at him with a menacing look.

"What! The "Ultimate Bug Fusion Body"…! But we deleted it way back in August…!" Rock Man gasped.

"This one is kind of a twin to the one you beat: part of those bugs escaped and managed to assemble… Since it was derived from an attempt at copying me, I guess that's why it bothers to follow me and does anything I say…" Forte explained.

"Whoa! You're Forte!" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Hikari Netto, right? Wait. Isn't there a Science Labs researcher by that same name? The "Proto" project was his idea…" Forte frowned.

"There _was_: our grandpa, Hikari Tadashi, was one of the main scientists working there, but… He died a lot of years ago. I guess the remorse for what happened to his project and you getting blamed for it tormented him way too much…" Netto sighed.

"Oh. I see." Forte muttered.

"So… You don't really "hate" humans? Maybe you've been reflecting upon it?" Rock Man asked.

"Yeah… The other day, I tried to challenge Serenade and he gave me a kickass without even bothering to be totally serious, so… He did tell me my so-called "hate" was to hide my fears, doubts, confusion and such… So I know now that it's stupid to hate all humanity when it was just a little bunch of idiots the ones who tried to make a scapegoat outta me."

"Ah… Sorry for bringing that up."

"No need to… By the way… Why would someone bother to create such a complicated system, that "cyborg body", to allow you to come out into the real world, anyway?" Forte asked.

"Well… That's because I was originally a human."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah… But I had a rare genetic heart disease which was impossible to cure back then… So, our Papa, Hikari Yuuichirou, used his already ongoing research on how to interlink an Operator's DNA with a replication inside of a Navi to save me: he transferred my DNA, thoughts and memories into a Navi frame and thus I was reborn as Rock Man while my "real" body died back then…" Rock Man explained.

"Whoa. Interlink DNAs and allow for that "resonance" between Navi and Operator…" Forte looked interested.

"Yeah. And, by using the "cyborg body", I can interact with both worlds at the same time, too."

"I see. By the way… What became of that "Zero" guy? I did try to use that "Zero Virus" back when the affair happened, but I drew no power from it all…" Forte asked.

"Oh. I think he's still under Science Labs supervision. But I heard that they might allow him to cooperate in Net Saviors missions soon… Which would be great, really."

"Huh? Someone's there!" Forte muttered.

Both looked towards a nearby ledge and heard the sound of someone running off at top speed.

"The culprit…" Rock Man muttered.

"Hey. Where do you live at?" Forte asked.

"Huh? Akihara City…"

"Would you mind me giving you a hand?"

"No. Why do you wanna?"

"I feel like I should be doing something helpful. Seeing how you didn't really want anything on exchange when you were fighting those enemies, it somehow stirred something in me. My original purpose was to be autonomous and helpful, too, so…" Forte shrugged.

"Whoa. Eh… You're welcome anytime."

"Thanks. The only thing I needed lately was a hit on the head or something similar, and since Serenade provided it…"

"Oh. I see."

"By the way… Those three powerful Navis… You know their true colors, don't you?"

"Yeah. They originally are advanced robots… But given how their mindset is electronic, it's easy to transfer it to a Navi frame being stored in the Cyber World… They're more or less the basis for my system, although mine is way more complex." Rock Man admitted.

"Good. I just wanted to clear this spot. Go back: I'll try to have "Little Gospel" sniff the trail of the culprit." Forte told them.

"_Thank you_! Rock Man! Plug Out!"

"Roger, Netto – kun!"

Forte smiled and then looked at "Little Gospel": he grumbled something and didn't look amused.

"Sorry. But you're really "Little", you know."

"Little Gospel" looked elsewhere and Forte made a grin…


	16. Chapter 16: Escalating tension

**Chapter 16: Escalating tension**

10:11 AM (Japan Time), Saturday January the 19th…

"… Good morning, Master…? Huh? Where is Master at?"

Specter Man walked into the lab but found the throne to be empty: he looked around in a confused manner.

"Master?" He called out.

"Uh…"

Delta's door opened and the person in question came out: its walking was erratic and it looked dizzy.

"Ah… There you are… Specter Man…" Delta greeted between gasps.

"Master? Are you OK?" He inquired.

"Hum… Maybe I shouldn't have tasted that Cyber Martini…"

"Cyber Martini…? Huh… Master…" A sweat drop formed on the right of his head.

"… I told one of the sleepers to smuggle it…"

"What? You allowed them to see the lab, sir?"

"Course not… I used the distorter to pass as you. I simply told him to leave it at the HQ's door… Ah… Too strong… I'm going to find the one who mixed it… And I'll make him swallow it…"

"Master… Are you sure you should keep working alone on this? I could help you, Master." He offered.

"Hum… You know the drill… I'm going to lie down in my room… Screw the martini… And I wasn't supposed to drink those things 'till eight years from now… Wanting to be the bad guy ahead of his age sure has its downsides… I know I'm going to regret it one of these days…" Delta muttered in what sounded like a grim tone.

"Uh… Roger, sir…"

Delta headed back towards the room and slammed the door shut: Specter Man sighed and seemed to roll his eyes under his shades.

_Lovely. Anyway… Let's check on the Darkloids._

He headed over to one of the capsules and brought up a holographic screen with several graphs being displayed over it.

_Blizzard Man was the easiest to rebuild: he's already at a 100% and is only pending installation of the "loyalty program"… Good. _

He articulated his fingers and headed towards the one adjacent to it: there were some scratches which seemed to have been done from the inside as if the occupier had tried to come out.

_Shade Man is at the 98% mark and the hibernation isn't totally working: he seems to be eager for blood and tried to force his way out. Maybe I'll have to expose him to UV light to keep him under control until the remaining 2% ends and I can install the "loyalty program" into him… Really… Why couldn't Dr. Regal program him to be more cool-headed and "aristocratic" like a REAL Count Dracula? He's acting just like a wild bat with just the basic instincts… No good…_

Sighing, he checked the one directly in front of the Blizzard Man and placed both closed punches against the sides of his body.

_Cloud Man is at 95% and reports no problems: his electrical capabilities are nullified for safety reasons but it wouldn't take him much long to bring them at max power once I finish rebuilding and install the "loyalty program" into him, too… Next is…_

He checked a capsule to the left of Cloud Man's: it was humming with a loud volume and a red LED was blinking atop it.

_Cosmo Man: this one is just at 79% and I don't expect him to be ready for another four to five hours including the "loyalty program" installation. Since I only got the data recently, too…_

He lastly glanced at a fifth one built right in front of the throne and smiled.

_And there's the "extra", too… Heh, heh, heh…_

10:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hello! Are you the posters of that request?"

"Correct."

"We're part of the Officials."

Blues and Search Man were speaking with a Navi within the Official Square's posting board room: she looked like a nurse Navi about a meter and sixty tall.

Her helmet's main color was navy blue and it covered her whole head: reddish transparent shades shielded her bluish eyes while two hair string-like shapes formed from each side of the forehead having a small reddish band near the end of them.

The rear part of the helmet had a cylinder-like shape emerging from it which also had a thin reddish band towards the end of it: her ear pads had a reddish outer rim and the insides were white: nothing was drawn there.

A curved white-colored object was set slightly over her forehead and had her emblem drawn into it: four upper-half-of-a-finger-shaped and red-colored forms aiming NW, NE, SW and SE with a diamond-shaped white space set on its center.

The rim was colored blue and the rest of the space was colored white.

She wore a white bodysuit over the central part of her body which ended around the hips while forming an irregular-sphere-like form: two lines of a brownish color travelled down it starting slightly beneath the neck and ending past the hips: they drew two circles at around the hips' height.

The bodysuit was sleeveless, so part of her arms' "skin" was exposed: the forearm covering began around the elbow and included a small circle which was placed above the elbow: her fingers were covered by that white "glove" like-material.

Part of her legs' "skin" was exposed until the boots began around the knees' height: they had a slightly heel-shoe-like form with reddish domes forming around the ankles on the "outer" side of each boot.

The "inner" side only had a circle drawn inside of it.

She also carried a kit-like case with a reddish handle and her emblem set there.

"I'm Meddy EXE, from Choina. I am an apothecary who specializes in the use of medicinal plants plus Navi healing by the use of sonic transmission of healing data." She introduced herself.

"Good. We've been looking for a healer Navi like you. We know we'll have to open a "Dark Power" door somewhere soon and we'd like your help to unlock it." Blues told her.

"Is that somewhere in the Reverse Internet?"

"Correct." Search Man admitted.

"I heard that there's a book about healing somewhere inside of it: I have been looking for it but I didn't dare to go alone: even though I have the "A" License granted by the Choina ONBA, that place is too dangerous to go without a partner." She exposed.

"Hmmm… A book about healing…? Oh. I remember. We confiscated it from an illegal auction since it'd been stolen from its owner. It surely is stored still in the "Confiscated Material" server… Here's a deal: once you open the "Dark Power" door, then we'll grant it to you." Blues recalled after thinking about it.

"Sounds fair. Contact me anytime through the board. I'll go check that new shopping district." Meddy agreed on it.

"Fine. Let's go, Blues. We should try to find a lead to Swallow Man's usual whereabouts: he will tell us details about the "Renegades" we need. That "Dark Power" door must be there." Search Man told him.

"Yeah. See you later." Blues nodded in agreement.

"Blues. Remember that our goal is to capture Swallow Man intact so don't try to go overboard." Enzan reminded him.

"Amusing." Laika seemed to form a smile.

11:06 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Uo~h! This guy again!"

"Hmpf."

"I heard about it."

Blues and Search Man had cornered the member of the "Renegades" from the other day: he backed until he met a wall and looked panicked.

"I don't think the Ranked Navis will save your skin this time around: which is a fake, too, by the way." Laika announced with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oi, oi. Aren't military supposed to be serious?" Enzan looked and sounded surprised.

"Not really." Laika shrugged.

"Great." Enzan sighed.

"W-whaddya want outta me this time around?"

"Where's Swallow Man?" Blues questioned.

"R-Reverse Internet 7! He built his own "Home Page" there… But he locked it with a "SS" License Security Cube!" The Navi replied.

"So? And where's your _personal_ ever-so-shining and spectacular personal hideout at? The Bahamas?" Laika taunted.

"Ameroupe Square…! Crap!" The Navi gasped.

"Hmpf. Ameroupe Square has a Reverse Internet entrance close by, so that's why he picks that place for his own." Enzan muttered.

"There! Get 'im!" Some voices suddenly yelled.

Blues and Search Man jumped down towards the lower levels while the Navi ran: the crowd of ten creditors gave chase and held blunt weapons.

"Damn you~! Officials…!" The Navi cursed aloud.

"Get 'im, get 'im!" The crowd yelled.

11:10 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Here it is."

"The guy sure lacks imagination."

"Oi, oi…"

"I mean that it was obvious that we'd come after him: placing an "SS" License Security Cube was a stupid and useless move."

"Ah. I like that better."

Blues and Search Man had reached the deepest level of the Reverse Internet and they found the Security Cube blocking off access to a Warp Point: Blues touched it and the Security Cube unlocked.

"Go!" Both whispered.

They ran inside of the Home Page, decorated with the Nebula logo and the words "Darkloid Tribe" painted in purple as screensavers: Swallow Man was snoring while lying atop a _futon_: he had a smug smile on his face and seemed to be "dreaming" of something good.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius. Really. Thanks to my efforts, my companions will soon be restored. Heh, heh, heh." He muttered aloud.

"Don't move!" Blues commanded.

"Give it up, Darkloid!" Search Man added.

"Damn!" Swallow Man cursed as he quickly jumped to his feet and formed a grimace on his face.

"Who is your _real_ employer, Darkloid? We're not falling for that "Mr. Brown" and "Comrade Rupert" tale anymore." Blues demanded.

"Hmpf! Specter Man! Leader of the "Renegades"… Your worst nightmare, you know!" He made a smug smile.

"Oh. We're so afraid." Laika taunted.

"Damn you!" Swallow Man hissed.

"So! His aim all along has been to rebuild the "Darkloids" and use them to hit us and hard, huh?" Enzan guessed.

"Correct, Official! But you two will now experience what it means to face a "Darkloid"! Dark Chip: Activate! Hra~h!"

Swallow Man formed a Dark Chip on his right hand and the energy flew into his body: it glowed with the purple halo and he chuckled.

"Nice decoration." A voice rang out with a hint of sarcasm.

"Who…?" Swallow Man demanded.

"The Cloaked Villain Wannabe." The voice shot back.

"Very funny!" Swallow Man growled.

"Funnier than your decoration?" The voice suggested.

"Damn you!"

"_Clichéd_." The voice sounded amused.

"Show your hide!"

"Show your weird hairstyle."

"What "weird hairstyle"…?" Swallow Man demanded.

"Dunno. Ask Wikipedia – sama."

"Found you… Swallow Cutter!"

Swallow Man aimed a swallow-shaped energy attack towards an upper level's balcony but it made contact with something purple: it was destroyed.

"Here: catch." The voice told him.

A Count Bomb fell down at Swallow Man's feet and the explosion made him fly out across the air only to crash down, hard, against the ground: he groaned.

"That thing was overpowered!" He cursed.

"Who goes there? The "Subspace"…?" Blues demanded.

"Oho. Good guess, but… Alas, no. I'm a freelancer." The voice seemed to be shrugging.

"I can identify a "Dark Aura" program with a max capacity of about 500 HP… It'd take a powerful Program Advance or a combo to break through it…" Search Man reported.

"Grrr…" A voice growled.

"No. Go eat Viruses." The first voice shot back at the newcomer.

"Grawl…"

"I told ya: got eat Viruses."

"Grrr!"

"Yeah. This guy isn't eatable."

They heard something running away followed by the sound of someone clearing their throats.

"Anyway… Yo! Swallow Man! Swallow a swallow!" The voice made a pun and giggled.

"Shit. Who the hell is that?" Swallow Man hissed.

"Here's a message from Willard Whyte: you're fired!" The voice announced with a hint of amusement.

A machinegun-like sound rang out and several attacks began to rain down on Swallow Man thus inflicting accumulative damage: he groaned and hissed something before flying out of the Home Page.

"Heh, heh, heh. That guy will be waiting for you two at Specter Man's hideout: 2 VS 2 is fairer, after all! _No pain_, _no gain_! My name is Mr. Shoes in case ya didn't know. Heh, heh, heh." The voice told them.

They suddenly heard the sound of the owner of the voice rushing outside of the Home Page: both Navis looked confused and surprised at what had happened…

11:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Good! Cosmo Man is making faster progress than I'd thought he'd make… He's jumped to 80% complete and I hope to have him ready in just another 50 minutes…"

Specter Man was monitoring Cosmo Man's capsule and looked satisfied with the overall progress.

"… The key to the victory is urban soil speculation! And the stock market, too! I must exploit both of them so that I… I'LL BE A MILLIONARE! GYAH, HAH, HAH, HA~H!" Delta suddenly laughed aloud in a hysterical tone of voice.

Specter Man slapped his face in defeat while he let out a large sigh of accumulated frustration and tiredness.

_Master should be more careful while drinking… And I don't really get why Master spoke about "being eight years ahead" and "trying to play the ahead of age villain"… _

"… Wait! If I buy a 20% of Nippon Gas, then I'll become… A SUPERMILLIONARE! UWA, HAH, HAH, HAH, HAH, HAH, HAH, HAH, HA~H!"

"Please… Someone reset his system to purge the remains of the "Cyber Martini" program…" Specter Man sounded like he couldn't endure it anymore.

"Oi! Specter Man! Do you copy?" Swallow Man's voice rang out through the radio.

"Yeah. What's up?"

"The Officials are on their way here… Couldn't we make a tag-team to even the odds and fight them back?" Swallow Man asked.

"Sure. Make sure to rush here: we don't wanna make those guys wait too much." Specter Man grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. This time… The bad guys win!" Swallow Man chuckled.

Specter Man also chuckled under his breath…

12:13 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Is this the door in question, then?"

"Yeah. If you'd open it…"

"… We'd rush in to get the day's ration…"

"Oi, oi… Why can't you be serious?"

"Dunno. Ask my bunkmates."

"Guess I'll do."

Blues and Search Man had brought Meddy along with them to the locked entrance of the Gospel HQ: Laika began to make his jokes and Enzan looked on the verge of exploding.

"Hum! Ijuuin – sama looks about to explode. Maybe we need to ring up the bomb disposal squad? Oh. Wait. You _are_ the bomb disposal expert: didn't you locate Hayami Daisuke's bombs in the dam and disarmed them while your companion was taking care of the detonators?" Laika smiled at Enzan.

"Grjftx! Please open that door!" Enzan groaned.

"R-roger."

"Blues! Hand the book at her." Enzan commanded.

"Here you have." Blues announced as he handed her a data file.

"Thank you! Hum… Heal Pulse!"

Meddy emitted some yellow-colored rings of energy at the purple barrier of energy: it slowly dissolved until nothing remained: she then picked the data file and bowed.

"Goodbye."

"Thanks for the help." Enzan thanked.

Meddy ran out while both Navis readied their default weapons: a chuckle rang out from inside of the area.

"Welcome, Officials! Come in…" The voice invited.

Both ran down the binding corridor until they reached the square: Specter Man and Swallow Man were waiting there.

"I am Specter Man: leader of the "Renegades"."

"Heh, heh, heh." Swallow Man merely chuckled.

"So… You guys have a secret lab." Blues guessed.

"Yeah. But only I know the password." Specter Man replied.

"Heh, heh, heh."

"And you'd rather delete it from your memory before allowing us to get our hands into it?" Search Man deduced.

"Correct."

Specter Man drew his sword and it shone with a pale greenish aura: he then picked the shield and it also shone.

"Heh, heh, heh. Let's go~! Swallow Drive!"

"Specter Slash!"

"Sonic Boom!"

"Satellite Ray!"

Specter Man suddenly warped around four times before making a cross-shaped attack aimed at Blues: his Sonic Boom met the attack head-on and caused an explosion which pushed both combatants back: they then jumped towards each other and brought out their shields: both shields bounced off each other and they broke apart.

"Che. This guy is no joke." Blues grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh… I am not the leader of the "Renegades" and an admirer of Nebula in vain!" Specter Man announced.

"We won't get anywhere at this rate…! We need to come up with something else…!" Enzan muttered.

"… Heh, heh, heh. Swallow Cutter!"

"Scope Gun!"

Swallow Man dodged the attack coming from a miniature satellite and then shot his swallow-shaped attack at Search Man: he was hit while Swallow Man ducked to avoid the Scope Gun's shot: it hit the far wall and got nullified.

"Che. This guy is something." Laika grumbled.

"This time there'll be no unknown saviors!" Swallow Man proclaimed with a grin.

"Shut up." Search Man grumbled.

"Not enough? Air Dive!"

"Search Grenades!"

Search Man threw four or five grenades towards Swallow Man: he grinned and suddenly spread his arms open.

"Gotcha. Swallow Cutter!"

"Crap."

The Swallow Cutters shot out in a row and intercepted each grenade: Search Man had to shield himself from the shockwave while Swallow Man laughed.

"Swallow Drive!"

"Groah!"

He rammed into Search Man and then flew out of his reach: he prepared for a new dive but found that Search Man had drawn the Tank Cannon Battle Chip.

"Tank Cannon!"

"Guo~h!"

"Heh. The hunter got hunted." Laika grinned.

"Damn you!" Swallow Man roared.

"Patent _Channel 666_." Laika grinned.

"Stop screwing me~!" He yelled.

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Battle Chip Vulcan! Triple Slot In!"

"Mugen Vulcan!"

"No way~!" Swallow Man gasped.

"Fire~!"

Search Man formed a large machinegun on his forearms: he began spinning it and bombarded Swallow Man with heavy-duty rounds: he groaned and stepped back until he hit the wall and some rounds hit the wall thus provoking a frizzling reaction: part of what looked like a white-colored gateway was revealed before Swallow Man closed his wings and summoned his purple aura to bounce the rounds off.

"I see. The lab is behind that, after all. And by speaking the password, you can open it." Laika muttered.

"Crap." Specter Man muttered.

He was currently in the middle of a deadlock between his sword and Blues' long sword: none seemed to be wielding to the other.

"Grrr… I've lost over 60% of my HP! But I'm a Darkloid! I will make my tribe be prideful: I'll fight to the end! Hra~h!" Swallow Man roared with clear anger.

"Too late." Laika grinned.

"Huh? What?"

"Program Advance!"

"No way~!"

"Program Advance!"

"Damn you…!"

"Battle Chip, Little Bomb, Cross Bomb, Big Bomb! Slot In!"

"Swallow Cutter!"

"Ultra Bomb!"

Search Man threw the gigantic spheroid at Swallow Man and the explosion caused for the floor to get wrecked: Swallow Man roared and fell into his knees, obviously tired out.

"Impossible…! I'm at the last 5% of my HP…!"

"It wasn't big enough." Laika calmly told him.

"Swallow Man! Run!" Specter Man told him.

"Damn. I'll remember this!"

Swallow Man flew out while Search Man turned his attention to the wall in front of him.

"Don't touch the wall!" Specter Man yelled.

"Battle Chip, Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! Dream Sword!"

"Hra~h!"

"Heh."

When Blues tried to hit Specter Man with the Dream Sword, a cloud of smoke ensued and a log fell into the ground: four _shuriken_ hit Blues from behind and he hissed something.

"_Kawarimi_!" Blues growled.

"Heh, heh, heh… I just good news. All the Darkloids have awakened! Prepare to meet your ends!" Specter Man chuckled.

"What!" Both Navis gasped.

"Damn." Both Operators cursed.

The wall frizzled as the gateway opened: Cosmo Man, Blizzard Man, Shade Man and Cloud Man came out while looking amused.

"Meet the V2 Darkloids! They have a 25% HP and Attack Power! They shall sweep through the Cyber World!" Specter Man laughed.

"Glory to Specter Man – sama~!" They all exclaimed.

"Crap. 4 VS 2 and they're V2…!" Enzan hissed.

"What do we do, Ijuuin?" Laika asked.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'll bury 'em under the snowy mountains! I'm the king of the ski lanes!" Blizzard Man chuckled.

"Outer space itself shall grant them an overwhelmingly powerful punishment… Heh, heh, heh…" Cosmo Man chuckled.

"I shall suck their data and leave them unable to move… Such is my style as the Reborn Count Dracula… Heh, heh, heh…" Shade Man creepily announced.

"I'll electrocute and paralyze them!" Cloud Man grinned.

"No good!" Search Man grimly muttered.

"Enzan – sama!" Blues called out.

"Yeah. Go back… Return with the tail between your legs and hanging your heads down in shame… We "Renegades" win this battle! What happened to the earlier guts, Officials?" Specter Man taunted.

"Damn! Blues! Plug Out!"

"Shit. Search Man! Plug Out!"

"Roger!"

"Roger, sir!"

"There: run as far as you can! But no matter where you run to, you can't escape from the "Renegades"!"

"Heh, heh, heh."

The group of five chuckled as both Official Net Navis retreated from the area: Specter Man then turned around and headed for the gateway while looking amused.

"Too easy!" Blizzard Man laughed.

"They valued their hides, it'd seem!" Shade Man chuckled.

"Their reputation will crumble." Cloud Man grinned.

"Punishment!" Cosmo Man chuckled.

They stepped into the lab: four of the five capsules were open yet the last one was still closed: they all bowed or kneeled once they reached Delta's throne.

"Shade Man. Start the discussed strategy." Delta ordered.

"Please leave it up to me." Shade Man made a gallant bow.

"You guys: wait for his signal." Delta commanded next.

"Roger, sir!"

"By the way, Delta – sama… Did _he_ finish reconstruction and "loyalty program" installation, too, sir?" Specter Man asked.

"Yeah. But I'm saving up that one up for the last moment… You can have some rest: you've done a good enough job insofar. And I learnt from my mistake: never again I will try to do something taken out of a cheap spy movie." Delta muttered with a sigh.

"Eh… I understand, sir." Specter Man looked surprised.

"Heh. _And then there were none_… Delicious. Soon there'll be no more eyesores… Heh, heh, heh… Experience the fear, terror and despair, you bothersome guys!" Delta sounded amused by now.

"Glory to Delta – sama~!" Everyone chorused.

"Heh, heh, heh… I'm a - GENIUS!"

Everyone laughed aloud in an evil tone of voice…


	17. Chapter 17: Sunset duel!

**Chapter 17: Sunset Duel!**

17:04 PM (Japan Time), Saturday January the 19th…

"… Huff! It felt good to go skate at the closed doors skate ring in the Densan City Shopping Mall… But sunset is starting, so I should rush back home…"

Tooru was rushing down an avenue as he glanced at the sunset: he carried a brown backpack and sported a yellowish raincoat over his clothes: he looked in a rush.

_I'm glad things are progressing, though! The new student who began this year, Saito – kun, is a very nice person! I know he's Netto – kun's elder twin brother, but… He's Rock Man: no doubt about it! Meiru – chan told me about the first Dream Virus battle… So cool! _

He giggled under his breath and stopped next to a pedestrian crossing to catch his breath: he then crossed once the light turned green and continued walking down the avenue.

_Good! I'll be home in 15 minutes at this pace. I can't wait to see the new videos in the Nico Nico Douga website! Heh, heh, heh! Oh. I should pay dad a visit one day, too… My dad and Netto – kun's are similar: they get overworked with their jobs and hardly come home! But I'm sure he'll come at least to rest a bit: I know it isn't easy being the administrator of the city's Waterworks, after all!_

He sighed, rolled his eyes, but soon regained his earlier composure: he stopped to regain his breath again and glanced at the sun: he didn't spot a "Dimensional Converter" emerging from behind him.

_O. K. Another 10 minutes and I'll be home. Let's make sure to have all windows and everything locked before heating it up for 10 minutes: I'll then start looking at the new videos… This afternoon sure has been exciting! Heh, heh, heh!_

The "DC" suddenly finished ignition: a white shaft of light formed at his feet and he began to levitate before his body "dissolved" and disappeared…

17:21 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew! Homework's over…"

"Yeah. And you did it pretty well, Netto – kun."

Netto stretched while Saito checked his homework: he looked in a good mood.

"And to think IPC released _another_ PET model when it hasn't even been half a year since the PET II… The PET III! I won't deny it's an improvement over the PET II, but… I feel like they're trying to rush it." Netto commented with a shrug.

He glanced at the desk where one of the new PET IIIs was set on its charger.

This new-model PET had a mainly horizontal oval form plus an LCD screen on the middle of it: the border was lower directly over and below the screen while it seemed to be thicker for the rest of the PET.

The PET had a main round button on the SW side of it which included a command pad: another three buttons were set forming a triangle over this one: the right side had a small dome with the owner's crest (the Hikari family crest in this case) plus two small closed white-colored plastic hatches.

Overall, it looked practical and smooth.

The PET was set horizontally on a charging base.

"Heh, heh, heh… The blood-soaked sunset banquet is about to start… But it wouldn't be as half as fun if there weren't guests to it…" An amused voice suddenly rang out from Netto's PET III.

"Who…? What's this…? Live call…?" Netto cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh… Have a look, Net Savior!"

The screen suddenly turned on to reveal Tooru: he was tied into a chair somewhere and had a gag over his mouth: the place looked largely unlit and abandoned.

"Tooru – kun!" Both gasped.

"Heh, heh, heh… Net Savior! If you don't want this pitiful human to become tonight's sunset banquet, then listen closely…" The voice chuckled.

"Show your hide!" Netto challenged.

"Fine. A gentleman always shows his hide, after all… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…"

A close-up of Shade Man's face came into view and both gasped: Shade Man laughed.

"Come to the Nebula Factory in less than 1 hour from now: I shall be waiting, Net Saviors! Heh, heh, heh…"

The feed was suddenly cut and both made a grimace.

"Damn. This has to be the work of the "Renegades": Enzan did tell us they were aiming to rebuild the Nebula "Darkloids"…!" Netto hissed.

"How are we gonna get from here to the summit of Mt. Fuji, though? I guess we'll need to contact Vadous – san…" Saito frowned.

"Yeah. I see no other way to get there in less than 1 hour. Let's tell Mama something popped out and we have to go. Thankfully, the PET III fixes that "Cross Fusion" flaw of the 5 Battle Chips: now I can use my whole Folder in battle. Let's make sure to pack one of the powerful ones and I don't wanna risk using that "Gospel Chip" in "Cross Fusion": let's use some other Battle Chips instead and Program Advances." Netto began to rummage into a drawer.

"I'll contact Vadous – san: he did give us a direct number in case something was to happen." Saito announced.

"Bothersome guys. Kidnapping our friend just to make us come battle them… We'll show them they messed with the wrong guys and they'll regret it." Netto grumbled.

"Yeah. Let's beat them." Saito made a grimace.

17:55 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Here we are: the Nebula Factory."

"Remember, Netto – kun. Vadous – san is mobilizing the _Three Musketeers_ so we'll get their backup soon enough."

Netto was standing in front of the unlit and gloomy Nebula Factory building: the sun had already set and the last patches of sunlight were about to fade as well: he'd put a brown coat over his clothes and looked decided: his PET III was stored in his coat's right pocket.

"I know. Let's go inside and finish this already."

Netto pushed one of the doors open and it squeaked: he calmly stepped inside and walked up the unlit corridors using his PET III's glow so as to illuminate the path.

"… Hmpf. If Shade Man plans on coming out of somewhere and scaring us, then it won't work." He muttered.

"Yeah. He's outdated." Rock Man grumbled.

Netto eventually found the control room and checked on Tooru: he seemed to be still unconscious.

"Heh, heh, heh… Net Saviors! Climb into the rooftop… I'll be waiting! Heh, heh, heh…" Shade Man's voice rang out.

"What's the situation like?" Vadous asked through the PET.

"Tooru – kun is unhurt. And Shade Man just challenged us to climb into the rooftop…" Netto whispered.

"Fine. We'll be there in about 4 minutes. I'll send someone to tend for your friend and take him home." Vadous calmly replied.

"Roger."

Netto spotted an emergency stair and climbed it up until he exited into the wide and empty rooftop through an open trapdoor.

"Heh, heh, heh… You came… Heh, heh, heh…"

Several bats of small size flew out of nowhere and began to gather together: they gave way to Shade Man and he made a gallant bow as his fangs shone.

"Heh, heh, heh… Showdown!"

He spread his red wings open and "Dimensional Converters" emerged from the ground to cover the rooftop: Netto took out his "Synchro Chip" and discarded his coat.

"Let's go! Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

The "Cross Fusion" took place but "CF" Netto's design had now changed slightly.

The helmet's design included a bright blue-colored fin-shape piece formed at the sides, emerging from the ear pads' upper edge and extended until the end of the helmet: an arch was drawn over it and the space inside of it had a deeper tonality of blue.

That same forehead drawing which his other form had was set on the same place, and the helmet's front now extended until the start of the nose: his hair now flowed out in a more natural manner from behind it.

The backpack was unchanged.

The blue borders travelling down the sides of his upper body ended around the hips: two circular bands of the bright blue color were drawn over them with a small separation between them.

A pale blue border formed around it and a straight line travelled towards the emblem to form a curve surrounding the lower half of it: the curve ended with a small "spike" drawing pointing downwards.

The plating over his shoulders now had a more pyramid-like form and they were aiming towards the NW and NE, respectively.

His forearm design now included a thin separation around the elbow: the two combine section formed a hexagon with a green jewel set on its center: the short section set on the rear half of the elbow was colored navy blue while the rest of the forearm was slightly brighter.

His boots' design was based upon that of his forearms: the soil was painted black and separated from the rest of the foot by a thin bright blue line.

The jetpack design had changed a bit, too, and it now included bright blue pieces connecting the upper right and left edges with the body: a curved red line was drawn half-way across it: the rest of the backpack looked identical to Rock Man's usual form.

"Oh… I see… The new PET III allows for even further "Cross Fusion" potential… Interesting! Heh, heh, heh… Crush Noise!"

Shade Man spread his wings and formed supersonic waves which headed for "CF" Netto: he calmly jumped over them, compacted his body as he flew across the air, and spun upon his form to then propel himself towards Shade Man: he built up kinetic energy and, when he made impact, an explosion pushed Shade Man back while he snarled: "CF" Netto quickly recovered and jumped away.

"Program Advance! Battle Chip, Toppu, Suikomi, Gate Man V3! Gate Magic!" "CF" Netto announced.

"What a…!" Shade Man gasped.

Gate Man appeared on the field: "CF" Netto began to punch it from behind with his right forearm and he opened his chest's doors to bombard Shade Man with random stuff: Shade Man growled and stepped back.

"Hah! Program Advance! Battle Chip, Guts Punch, Cold Punch, Dash Attack! Machinegun Punch!"

Guts Man appeared on the field next and attacked Shade Man by shooting several attacks at him: wounds began to form on his body and he seemed to be getting overwhelmed.

"I-impossible…!" He cursed.

"More! There's more, you jerk! Program Advance! Custom Sword, Variable Sword, Blues V3! Double Hero!"

"No way…!"

A copy of Blues formed and both he and "CF" Netto synchronized to attack with Rock Buster attacks and Sonic Booms: Shade Man got tossed around until he crashed against a ventilation shaft and slid into the ground while groaning in pain.

"Impossible… 3! 3 Program Advances…! I got 1950 HP drained and I only have 50 left…! Ugh…! Come!" He grumbled.

"What?" "CF" Netto sounded surprised.

"Cosmo Gate!"

"Cross Spark!"

"Snow Rolling!"

"Ua~h!"

"CF" Netto got hit from behind and he collapsed into his fours from the sudden attacks: Cosmo Man, Cloud Man and Blizzard Man suddenly formed a triangle around him while they chuckled.

"Damn…! These guys…!" "CF" Netto cursed.

"By Delta – sama's command… You will be deleted, Net Saviors! Get ready!" The three of them announced.

"I wonder about that." A voice rang out.

They all gasped and turned around to spot Omega, Sigma and Blood standing on the rooftop.

"Them! Them again!" The four of them cursed.

"I'll go for Cosmo Man." Omega announced.

"Cloud Man is my stuff, then." Blood Shadow smiled.

"Heh. I'll send this guy back to the Reverse Internet through the shortest road!" Sigma grinned.

"Are you alright?" Vadous asked as he suddenly appeared from the south and helped them stand.

"Vadous – san…! Tooru – kun is…?" "CF" Netto asked.

"Safe. Lartes sent him home."

"Phew."

"Guo~h… I can still fight! Red Wing!"

Shade Man suddenly transformed into red bats and flew towards "CF" Netto and Vadous: he drew the right sword and held it up: it was frizzling with bluish electricity.

"Thunder Sword!"

Vadous aimed the sword at the group of bats: the electricity jumped out while drawing intricate patterns mid-air and hit each and every one of them: Shade Man was forced to reform and he collapsed into the ground face-down, obviously out of energies.

"Guo~h… Only 5 HP left…! What a guy…!" He cursed.

"… Demon Sword!"

"Aie~h! Run for it!"

"… Charged shotgun shot!"

"Guoh! Why is that attack so powerful against the great me…?"

"… Heh, heh, heh."

"By all the… He dodges all of my attacks and doesn't even bother to counter!"

The other three Darkloids were obviously having trouble handling their opponents: Sigma was swinging his sword at a mad speed through the air thus making Blizzard Man run for it: Blood Shadow had jumped in front of Cloud Man and used his shotgun at close quarters to attack him: Cosmo Man was trying to punch Omega but he was always dodging with his arms folded and having a smug smile on his face.

"Golden Man didn't try hard enough." Omega taunted with a broad grin on his face.

"Damn you!"

"Storm Man is a joke." Blood Shadow taunted.

"Damn you!"

"Ski Man runs down his black lane!"

"Damn you~!"

"Golden man, Storm Man, Ski Man… Really…" "CF" Netto found it totally laughable.

"They can come up with weird humor from time to time… Do you feel strong enough to stand?" Vadous asked.

"Yeah. Thank you, Vadous – san. We owe you big."

"We really do, sir."

"Don't mind it: I've been inactive for too long." Vadous replied.

"CF" Netto shook some dust off his body while Vadous suddenly closed his right arm around Shade Man's neck and lifted him.

"Guo~h!" He groaned.

"Shade!" The other three gasped.

"Oho. Don't forget about us." Omega grinned.

"Damn."

"Who the heck is "Delta – sama"? I know about Specter Man: I read the Net Police's file on him. But just who is this "Delta" jerk?" Vadous asked Shade Man.

"… Don't really know! Delta - sama and Specter Man - sama brought us back! We swear loyalty to them!" Shade Man replied between chokes and looked panicked.

"Tell me Delta's description."

Omega and the others were holding the accomplices at bay too.

"I don't even know if Delta - sama is a "he" or a "she". You see: Master wears a large tunic that covers the entire body. Master has the arms crossed inside the sleeves, and wears a heavy hood! Master also has this mask which hides the face along with a voice distorter! Master is about a meter and fifty tall, more or less!" Shade Man described.

_Weird. We're of that same height, aren't we?_ Saito asked Netto.

_Last time I measured my height, I was 154cm tall… _Netto replied while frowning.

_Guess I'm about 155cm… _

_Then… Why would that Specter Man bother to take orders from such a short guy?_

_Well! Blood is also around our height and look how much potential he can pack… This "Delta" jerk must be very powerful, too._

"Hmpf. Fine."

Vadous let go of Shade Man and he coughed.

"I'll leave that guy to you two. If you guys really value your ugly hides, then go back with the tail between the legs to your master as the stray grunts you are." Vadous taunted.

"Grrrr!" The four of them growled.

They quickly dematerialized while the "Dimensional Area" powered down: the three Navis remained materialized, though: Netto picked his reformed PET III and pocketed it on the pouch.

"We came directly with our robot bodies." Omega explained.

"Heh. They'll be getting a huge scolding." Blood Shadow grinned.

"Sure." Sigma chuckled.

"We'll keep tabs on Gospel HQ along with the Officials: we should be more than enough to handle the four of them." Vadous decided.

"O. K. I dunno why, but I think this won't be so easy…"

18:18 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Delta – sama! We deserve punishment!"

"Cool it down."

"Yes, sir! By yours orders, sir!"

Delta didn't seem surprised once the four Darkloids returned begging for punishment.

"I foresaw this outcome. You guys were a cover to hide my true plan, after all. But if you go and hit low-security spots, then we can diver them and isolate them: one versus one will be easier to handle." Delta calmly replied while tapping the armchair's right armrest.

"Roger, sir!"

"Rest."

"Roger, sir!"

The Darkloids entered their capsules, which automatically closed: Delta climbed down from the throne and looked at Specter Man standing close by.

"I'll be leaving for a few days starting tomorrow evening: I've got stuff to do. If that bothersome Rock Man comes, then challenge the guy. If the guy wins, lead him inside… I've got a strategy to handle the guy." Delta commanded with a dismissing gesture.

"Roger."

Delta entered the bedroom and let out a distorted chuckle while it seemed to close its fingers.

"Yeah… My strategy is perfect and flawless… I'll be sweet, even. And not even that "Vadous" guy will be able to stop me. Everyone will discover how powerless he really is… Rock Man! Come at me. You will meet your end… Heh, heh, heh, heh…" Delta muttered.

Delta laughed aloud in an evil tone of voice…


	18. Chapter 18: Taking on the 'Renegades'

**Chapter 18: Taking on the "Renegades"**

18:11 PM (Japan Time), Sunday January the 20th…

"… This is the place."

"Let's go, Rock Man!"

Rock Man reached the entrance to Gospel HQ and ran inside: he soon found Specter Man waiting for him.

"Heh, heh, heh… Welcome, Rock Man!"

"That chuckle…! I see…! You were the one who destroyed the road while I was walking across it!" Rock Man gasped.

"Yeah. You were an eyesore, so…" He shrugged.

"Let's go, Rock Man! Battle Operation, Set!"

"In!"

"Heh, heh, heh!"

"Let's go! Program Advance!"

"What!"

"Program Advance!"

"Battle Chip, Mega Cannon! Triple Slot In!"

"Zeta Cannon 3!"

Rock Man moved very quickly and attacked Specter Man thrice: he tried to use his shield to block it off but it got some cracks on it.

"My turn! Specter Sword!"

Specter Man jumped towards Rock Man but he stepped aside to reveal a small statuette placed on the field.

"That's…!"

Specter Man hit it and a thunderbolt fell down from above.

"Grah! Ojiouzan…!"

"Program Advance!"

"Program Advance!"

"Drop Down, Kawarimi, Shadow Man V3!"

"Bodyguard!"

Specter Man gasped but Rock Man merely stood there: he then laughed while Rock Man didn't seem to care.

"You scared me… But this time nothing will save you! Get ready! Specter Sword!" He laughed.

He jumped across the air and aimed his sword towards Rock Man's chest emblem: he suddenly ducked and the sword's blade bounced off his helmet's forehead: Shadow Man suddenly appeared on the field before vanishing: a rain of _shuriken_ bombarded Specter Man one after the other at a mad speed thus leaving him no room to react or dodge: he roared until he dropped into his fours, obviously beaten down.

"So?" Rock Man challenged.

"Grah! Ugh… Damn!" He hissed.

"Take us to Delta." Rock Man demanded as he took out the Rock Buster and aimed it at him.

"Fine!" He growled.

He walked over to the wall and muttered something in a low tone of voice but Rock Man caught it up, nevertheless.

"It's not a Gamma as in Guillotine, and it's not an Epsilon as in Executioner, either… It's Delta, as in Death!" He announced.

The gateway opened: Specter Man ran in and Rock Man followed him.

"Be careful, Rock Man!" Netto warned.

"Roger, Netto – kun."

Rock Man stepped inside of the lab and soon spotted Specter Man kneeling in front of Delta.

"Go to your room." Delta commanded.

"Roger, sir."

Delta then stepped down from the throne and fumed before looking up towards Rock Man.

"Hmpf. Rock Man. So you came this far." He muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"That's what happens for messing with me: if you hadn't tried to provoke me, then you'd been able to get away with it." Rock Man shot back.

"Hmpf. Whatever."

"And we already know your Darkloids have scattered in four different locations: the Officials and some of the "Subspace" Navis are fighting them back by now. And you can bring out any reinforcements you want: we'll beat them up as quickly as we did with Specter Man." Rock Man grinned.

"Hmpf. You won't be laughing for much longer." Delta scoffed.

"What?" Netto frowned.

"Hmpf. Shut up." Delta grumbled.

He snapped his right hand's fingers inside of the sleeve and the communications screen was filled with static: Rock Man gasped and looked at it.

"Netto – kun! What happened?"

"Hmpf."

"Is this your handiwork?"

"Yeah. I have a sniper in place: he can get a good shot and do your Operator in. And he will do it… Unless you comply with my demands." The individual announced.

"How do I know you're not bluffing?" He demanded.

"Try me. You can later apologize in front of his grave." The enemy sounded icy.

"… Damn it…"

_Damn! I can't risk Netto – kun's life…! And why isn't our "link" working, either..? Something is blocking it off…! Damn!_

"… What are your demands?"

"Stand still and don't try anything on me." Delta merely demanded.

Delta snapped its fingers inside the sleeves and some kind of metallic restrains appeared on Rock Man's legs on his hips, below his knees and around the ankles: he suddenly fell into the ground due to the sudden loss of balance.

"Ouch! That was low…!" He hissed.

Delta snapped again and other restraints appeared, immobilizing his forearms, and wrists: Delta walked towards him and passed his arms into his back thus stopping any chance to maneuver them.

_He wants to humiliate me! _Rock Man inwardly cursed.

Delta snapped for a third time and the fifth capsule opened up, revealing a new enemy.

The new guy's helmet main color was blood red as, yet the inner edges surrounding his thick red shades had a tint of purple to them: a purple band formed on the forehead and circled the whole diameter of it.

Their "skin" color was black, yet his upper torso had red blood armor built over it: there were two black shapes drawn over the shoulders having a golden rim and a thin black line spread from the base of the neck to the lower edge of the armor.

An emblem with a black edge was set on the chest: it consisted of white and black halves split by a thunderbolt-shaped line: white was golden and silver was right.

Two valley-shaped cavities had been inserted into the sides of it and they ended in golden circles: a "fin" sprouted from the top of the helmet thus giving it a menacing-like look.

The forearms were colored blood red and had two purple-colored parallel formations which originated at the sides of the emblem atop each hand's palm: they spread over the edge of the forearm while forming a pyramid-like shape.

His right forearm currently held a purple-colored Long Sword with a customized hilt.

The central body of the forearm was now colored metallic gray and had two purple circles colored yellow inside: a purplish-colored blade emerged around a cone-shaped purple-colored formation: the blade looked sharp and menacing for some reason or another.

His boots began slightly below the knee and had purple-colored diamond-like shapes which extended as high as the knee: they were colored blood red as well: the soils were colored purple, too.

Lastly, a wild flock of silver hair came out from behind the helmet and covered all of his body's back.

Overall, he looked like a revamped DS Blues including his dry face which he put on when nothing impressed him.

_He looks like a punk from those movies! _Rock Man sarcastically thought.

"DS Blues. Pick him. We're going." Delta ordered.

"Roger."

DS Blues picked Rock Man and put him over his right shoulder so that his face would be grazing his back.

"Heh, heh, heh." He chuckled.

They suddenly became data and reformed again inside of a room somewhere in the real world: Rock Man spotted a smashed server on a corner of the real-world room: he realized where this place was at.

_The abandoned apartment building in Kotobuki Town which served as Gospel's HQ…! We searched a ton of rooms like these on our way to the 30__th__ floor! _

DS Blues sat him on one of the wooden chairs and held him pinned by applying pressure on his shoulders.

"This is Room 042. Time for a - _half – kill_." Delta announced.

_Half – kill, he says! _

Delta pulled the sleeves back to reveal purple-colored forearms: Delta was holding a knife on the right hand which seemed to be very sharp: Delta then started to make cuts on Rock Man's chest area: Rock Man closed his eyes and yelled in pain as he felt the knife cutting through his bodysuit and cyber flesh.

_This guy is a sadist!_

Delta kept at it for about four or five minutes before stopping and taking a step back.

"… Hmpf. Enough." He muttered.

Rock Man was panting heavily and all looked blurry to him: he couldn't count how many cuts he had, since they varied in depth, orientation or length: but the collective pain from all them was putting a lot of strain on him.

"Pick the PET."

"Roger, sir."

DS Blues he picked one PET III from atop a nearby a table: he dialed a number and he started recording Rock Man panting with all the cuts and bruises: Delta was standing next to him with the knife's sharp side placed against Rock Man's neck, widening his eyes in fear.

"Hikari Netto. I've got Rock Man in my hands, as you can see. If you want him to live, come _alone_ to Gospel HQ, Room 042. Don't take too long."

Delta stopped talking and DS Blues turned off the PET.

"DS Blues: go there with a "Dimensional Converter" and bring the guy here without laying a hand on the guy."

"Understood, Delta – sama."

DS Blues summoned a "Dimensional Converter" and warped out of the room while Delta fumed.

"Hmpf. "Half" of it ain't totally satisfying. The "full" version will be way better…" He muttered.

Rock Man felt how the pain had largely faded away, but he was still too tired to be able to do anything.

_Damn it… He wants to do the same to Netto – kun…! But I'm sure Vadous – san will come to save us…! He'll notice the weird transmitter signal from his internal nanomachines…! _

The "DC" appeared again: DS Blues and Netto formed inside of the room while DS Blues was aiming his sword at Netto's back: he was lifting his hands and he looked angered.

"Sit there." Delta commanded as he signaled a chair set directly opposite Netto.

Netto complied and tossed both the vest and the T-shirt into a corner: his bullet wound scar could still be clearly seen: Netto sat down on the chair seeing how Delta was slowly making the knife come closer to Rock Man's neck.

"Shit." He cursed.

DS Blues took out some rope from one open cardboard box and tied his wrists, elbows, and shoulders with it: he then placed two ropes above and below his nipples and knotted them behind the chair, therefore immobilizing Netto into it.

"DS Blues. Keep Rock Man at bay. Make them feel the terror before the blackness." He ordered.

"Roger."

DS Blues walked to behind Rock Man's chair and stood there, his Long Sword's sharp side mere inches from Rock Man's neck.

"Heh, heh, heh." He chuckled.

Delta walked over to Netto and stopped in an angle so as to not to block Rock Man's view totally.

"Now is your turn." He announced.

He did the same _half-kill_ cuts on Netto's body: he clenched his teeth together to try to suppress the exhales of pain which threatened to come out.

"Enough." Delta muttered after four or five minutes.

Delta stepped away and stopped in angle half-way between both chairs so as to be able to look at both of them at the same time.

"Why the… You're a WWW fanatic, too?" Netto demanded.

"No. It's revenge."

"Revenge…? We'd never seen you before…!" Rock Man hissed.

"Hmpf."

Delta lowered the hood.

The Navi which was revealed had a silver helmet with two empty black-colored ear pads the rim of which was colored silver: the helmet also had a black line in the middle which spanned from the forehead to the back and three silver rectangles painted slightly above the forehead: they looked similar to the ones on Rock Man's own helmet, even.

The mask was still on.

"I'm going to take it off. And you will understand the "why" then."

Delta removed the mask and both gasped: DS Rock Man's face was clearly recognizable by now.

"Y-you!" Both gasped.

"Yeah. Me! The one whom you tried to _murder_ in _cold blood_ with some _pathetic excuse…_ You only killed a "Double" I set up!"

"What!" Both gasped.

"I swore revenge. And thus I set up the "Renegades" to prepare a scheme of my own to have revenge on you… "Duty"? "Mission"? "Threat to the Network Society"? Rubbish, all of it! You're cold-blooded murderers! That's your true identity!" DS Rock Man hissed.

He suddenly put his hands into the tunic's pockets and drew two Beretta M9 guns which he aimed at each of their foreheads: both gasped in fear and tried to struggle.

"Yeah. Struggle. Feel the fear. The cold fear which is the prologue of my revenge! Soon the "Darkloids" will rule it all… And no-one will be able to stop me!" He hissed.

"DOUBLE THUNDER!" A voice yelled.

"GRWA~H!" DS Blues roared in agony.

DS Blues suddenly collapsed into the ground with his body sparkling with electricity: Vadous was standing in the room's threshold while holding both swords: they frizzled with bluish electricity.

"You lowlife! That's as far as you come!" Vadous hissed.

"Damn. Die!" DS Rock Man cursed.

He began to discharge his clips against Vadous, but his bullets bounced off the body armor while Vadous suddenly ran forward as a blur and time itself seemed to slow down for DS Rock Man: Vadous kicked him on the lower jaw and sent him flying across the room until the hit the wall with violence thus leaving a crater mark on it: time then seemed to return to normal speed.

"D-damn! What happened?" DS Rock Man cursed.

"_Game Over_, Brutus." Omega popped out of nowhere and aimed his saber at DS Rock Man's neck.

"I've studied particle physics for some time and I've found out how to slightly reduce or increase their speed as they flow across all objects."

"Damn." DS Rock Man cursed.

"Boss. What do I do?" Omega asked.

"Take care of the twins: I'll use the "DC" to send this one back to its hideout with the tail between legs." Vadous replied.

"I'm not over yet!" DS Rock Man yelled.

A blinding white flash suddenly covered the room: they could hear a gun being cocked and a yell.

"What…?" Vadous hissed.

When the light dimmed, DS Rock Man had cut the ropes tying Netto to chair yet keeping his arms immobilized: he had grabbed him from behind and had placed the barrel of the gun on the right side of his forehead.

"Don't move! Or else… He'll go meet Lucy in Hell!" DS Rock Man announced.

He then smirked and dragged Netto along using a white column of light which then vanished.

"Damn it!" Omega growled.

"Netto – kun!" Rock Man gasped in horror.

"I failed…! I failed…!" Vadous clutched his head.

"It's not too late, Boss! Saito – kun! Try to connect with him and "ping" the connection!" Omega rallied as he used his sword to cut the restrains off him.

"… I can't get a hold of it yet… He's more likely unconscious… But I will eventually make contact…!" Rock Man muttered as he seemingly concentrated.

"Let's go to the HQ: the supercomputer will help us crack down any encryption protocols!" Omega rallied.

19:47 PM (Japan Time)…

BLOF!

"Gah!"

Netto suddenly awake as he felt a punch on his stomach area: he blinked several times and tried to get a hold of what was going on.

_Ugh…! The back of my skull aches…! _

"You. Wake up."

Netto managed to focus his sight and move: he was unable to and he let out a string of curses under his breath.

_My wrists are immobilized, lifted over my head, and connected to another rope hanging from the ceiling! My ankles have handcuffs on them which are connected to each wall and force me to spread my legs open…! And I have something weird covering parts of my body!_

He managed to open his eyes and looked at his body: he had several black leather bands set upon his body: a thin one with a small metallic ring was set on his neck.

There were another two interconnected bands of adjustable bands which passed over his shoulders, ran down his sides and circled around his ankles, almost scratching his member.

A small circle had been set on the base of his cock with three bands circling around the whole of his sack.

"Hmpf." DS Rock Man made a smug smile as he stood in front of him and having his arms folded.

Netto managed to scan the rest of the room: it was totally metallic and the only light came from a loose light bulb hanging from the ceiling: there was a _futon_ on the ground behind him and a half-open door which led to a restroom: there also was an armored door built behind DS Rock Man which seemed to be the only way in and out.

"You lowlife! What does this mean?" Netto hissed.

"Hmpf."

"What are these weird bands?"

"S&M gear."

"What the hell is that?"

"It means that you're my _sex slave_."

"What the...!"

"Hmpf. I'll bring you a slow and painful end... And then Rock Man will foolishly come to rescue you... The same will happen to the guy... And you will lose your sanities to then become my "pets"..." DS Rock Man smugly announced.

"You think I'm an idiot? I won't lose my sanity just because you try to force me to do sex." Netto growled.

"S&M is way more than that. And you'll soon see why."

DS Rock Man suddenly moved behind Netto and tossed his cloak into the ground to then remove the bodysuit section around his cock: he took it out and rubbed it to get it hard: he violently stuffed it into Netto's insides and he groaned.

"I'll make you mine."

He began to thrust in and out of Netto's body while he used his right hand to pull Netto's balls' skin downwards and his left hand fingers to pull his nipples: Netto groaned and closed his eyes as he tried to suppress the exhales of pain.

"Hmpf."

DS Rock Man released inside of him and then covered the bodysuit section: he began to rummaged into a suitcase and took out nine blue-colored clothes pegs which he began to clip on Netto's balls from beneath: Netto gasped and looked panicked at it.

"Hmpf. This is nothing."

"Damn you!" Netto cursed.

"A slave doesn't speak."

DS Rock Man picked a red hole-filled plastic spheroid with a black leather band: he placed it on Netto's mouth and then adjusted the bands: Netto yelled something but it was muffled by the spheroid.

"Let's keep on."

He now picked two plastic red clothes pegs tied by a string and placed them on Netto's nipples: he made sure to pass the string through the neck ring and make a knot there so that they were being pulled up.

"Hmpf."

DS Rock Man then picked a large object which looked like a gigantic cock with a hexagonal metallic base: he stuffed into Netto's insides and he seemed to be agonizing.

"An 8cm wide vibrator... And let's place a complement, too. Your insides are there to be fully used."

He picked a small and thin purple-colored cock-shaped object and stuffed it inside of Netto, too: he didn't stop there and picked four capsule-shaped objects connected in pairs to a remote: he strapped them on Netto's hips and then attached the capsules to the upper edge of his nipples and to the right and back of his cock's head.

"The finishing touch... This is what will drive you to madness and turn you into a broken man..." He eagerly announced.

He suddenly placed a black wool blindfold over Netto's eyes and a thin and long white plastic cylinder which he stuffed into the urethra: Netto seemed to gasp and began to shake.

"I'll leave you like this until midnight... At midnight you will be destroyed and Rock Man will be next...! Bwah, hah, hah, ha~h!"

He suddenly turned the vibrators on and Netto began to violently shake as his cock quickly got hard and began to bulge as it tried to release…

20:04 PM (Japan Time)...

"... Guah... Guh... T-this pain...! Netto – kun...! I'm almost there... Hang on...!"

Saito, sitting in a chair in front of his desk, felt his body convulse and he seemingly tried to keep on as he typed into his PET III using a holographic screen.

"Route Trace #5... Tottori City Hall... From there... 30km NNW... Can't trace route: authorization denied by the JSDF... Military facility...! Netto – kun is being held in a military facility...! I have to contact Vadous – san: he'll be able to crack the protocol...!"

Saito managed to sit down in front of his computer and quickly pressed some buttons on the PET III: Vadous (without the faceplate) showed up onscreen.

"Vadous – san...! Quick... 30km NNW of Tottori City Hall... Some kind of military facility...!" He reported between groans.

"What's wrong, Saito – kun?" Vadous asked.

"Netto – kun...! They're torturing him...! Please...! Make in on time...! They want to... destroy his mind... by midnight...! Please...!"

"Damn them all! Omega! Hurry up at that place!" Vadous hissed.

"Roger!

"Netto – kun... is trying to... hold on...! But I don't know for how much... longer...!" Saito muttered aloud.

"We'll find him! We've closed into the spot...! No more Mr. Nice: that jerk deserves being locked in the Net Prison forever along with those bothersome grunts! I won't let such guys get away with it!" Vadous growled with obvious anger.

"Netto – kun...! Please...! Hang on...! For everyone's sake...! I believe in you, Netto – kun...!" Saito pleaded.

He made a grimace and tried to hold on...

23:55 PM (Japan Time)...

"... Five minutes to midnight. Say "farewell" to your useless "companions", Hikari! They can't do _anything_. They're powerless."

DS Rock Man stepped into the room where Netto was still suffering and looked about to collapse given his violent shaking and the bulking of his cock: he folded his arms and looked on.

_Saito – niisan...! These five months... with you on the real world have been... splendid... and so were these ten months ever since you returned to me as "Rock Man EXE"...! Papa... Mama... I'm sorry! I really am... I always make you worry... Because I recklessly charge in... Niisan... I don't believe any of that guy's speech...! You can do it...! You can find me... and you'll find a way to heal me back to normal...! _

_Netto – kun! I don't get it...! Every time I track your signal, I get routed to somewhere else...! I can't zero into your location...! With the just the word "bunker" or "underground", we can't be sure if it's a city's underground, a refuge or a bunker...! This jerk...! He's fooling us! He's allowing me to connect through you to make me suffer, too...!_ Saito replied.

_Niisan...! Please...! Don't try to charge in out of revenge...! Please...! Leave it to Vadous – san and the others...! I believe in all of you guys! I fought to the end... Niisan... I _love_ you!_

_Netto – kun...! I _love_ you...! Stay with me! Please! Stay with me! Live!_

"Time's up." DS Rock Man icily announced.

_No!_ Both gasped in fear.

He suddenly took out the plug and Netto inwardly yelled in agony as he released and his body arched violently: he could feel Saito's voice growing weaker and absolute blackness creeping in.

_Netto – ku~n!_

Sayounara_, Saito - niisan..._

All became black and he was no more...


	19. Chapter 19: Yami kun

**Chapter 19: Yami - kun**

09:48 AM (Japan Time), Monday January the 21st…

"… Rock Man! Rock Man! Wake up!"

"… Netto – kun…?"

Saito slowly opened his eyes: all was blurry and he could barely distinguish a face looking at him from a close distance: he suddenly sat up and hugged the person.

"I knew it…! It was a nightmare…! All was a nightmare…! Thank goodness…! Netto – kun…!" He exclaimed.

"O-oi! Rock Man!"

"Huh…? That voice…?"

Saito managed to focus his sight and discovered that the person was, in truth, Enzan, who looked surprised.

"E-Enzan – kun…?" He gasped.

"Will you let go of me?" He asked in an exasperated tone.

"W-why are you here?"

"Just what happened yesterday?" Enzan asked.

"Then… It was real…?" Saito gasped.

"Sorry. I'm not following."

"Damn… I lost consciousness! What time is it?" Saito cursed as he jumped off the bed: he was still clad in his usual clothes.

"Huh… 09:55 AM…"

"What! And today is a Monday! I should be at school…! But… I can't go until I rescue Netto – kun! I MUST rescue him! I've been doing nothing for 10 hours!" Saito cursed.

"Can you explain it?" Enzan frowned.

"The "Renegades"! DS Rock Man was their leader behind the scenes and he planned to have revenge on us! He cut my contact with Netto – kun and threatened to have him killed…! He then tortured me and used me as a threat for Netto – kun to come in! He tried to _murder_ us but Vadous – san came to rescue us… When it seemed that the tale was over, the jerk picked Netto – kun and escaped…! I spend the next 4 hours trying to zero into his "link" signal but the jerk had set it up so that I always got a random location…! He tortured Netto – kun for 4 hours and I felt his pain until he brought Netto – kun to his utter physical and mental limit… He wrecked his mind and, as an "echo" effect, I got knocked out, too…! It's my entire fault! Mine! Mine! Mine!" Saito explained.

He suddenly clutched his head and ran towards the balcony doors to begin hitting his head against it: Enzan gasped and grabbed his shoulders from behind to pull him away.

"Calm down, Rock Man! It's not your fault! It was a trap!" Enzan tried to calm him down.

"No! I'm to blame! I am!" Saito groaned.

"Saito… Calm down…" Haruka suddenly came in: she looked like she'd barely slept.

"Mama…! How can I calm down? Netto – kun is in danger!" Saito protested.

"I know that, but… Trying to go out is reckless… The bad person is expecting you to go out without a plan and then harm you, Saito… You mustn't." Haruka told him with a sigh.

"Don't you care about Netto – kun, Mama?"

"Of course I do! But I don't want you to get into danger just for his sake! I'm sure he wouldn't be glad of it…!" Haruka insisted.

"… True… He told me… He wanted me to stay away… But… I feel so powerless…! I'm not sure about what I should do anymore…! I _need_ to do something instead of sitting idle! I must try to trace his signal again: there must be a way through that random protocol!" Saito groaned.

"Rock Man…" Enzan muttered.

"Enzan – kun! Please stop being so impersonal with me! I'm Hikari Saito and I have the right to be treated like any normal human! And stop being so impersonal with Netto – kun! Your father isn't watching what you do every single second of your life, is he? There's no need to have that "mask" on: it turns you into an automaton which only shows some sympathy when speaking with a girl or an adult!" Saito told him as he placed both hands over his shoulders.

"Ah… Eh…" Enzan suddenly seemed at a loss for words.

"I need everyone's support: and you're not being supportive! Always labeling us with that "you mess it up" manner…! Enzan – kun! Be a person! Be a human! You have emotions! You have a will of your own: you're not a puppet of your father!" Saito insisted.

"… Fine. I stand defeated. Truth is… It was destroying me from inside… That so—called "mask" was…" Enzan sighed in defeat.

Saito's PET III rang and he gasped: he quickly picked it up to see Vadous onscreen: he also looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"Good morning…" He yawned.

"So that's Mr. Vadous…" Enzan muttered.

"Vadous – san… Any news?" Saito asked.

"Well… I managed to contact a person who could help us: Commander Barrel, former military man who works in the Ameroupe Army's Network Force… He has a lot of knowledge about such facilities and seems to suspect where Netto – kun might be at: he's heading over there and I'm waiting for his report. But I'm highly confident of his skills."

"… I see… I can pick a very weak echo of his signal… Netto – kun seems to be asleep… Maybe we're still in time to save him…" Saito muttered.

"We will." Vadous firmly replied.

Saito, Enzan and Haruka looked towards the cloudy skies…

10:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff, huff… Hum. I'm close."

A man could be seen climbing a mountain's slope.

He looked on his thirties, with black hair which reached until the neck and some traces of a beard: his eyes' irises were brown.

He sported an open jacket with brown patches of camouflage, a gray jumper and jeans along with shoes: he also had a dog-tag hanging from his neck:

"So… This villain goes by the "closer than you could think" strategy when picking a hideout… But that doesn't work on me." The man muttered.

"Barrel. The entrance should be close by." A Navi reported.

"Fine."

The man began examining the ground closely, as if looking for something: he found a camouflaged armored trapdoor ten meters wide and ten large which had an electronic lock: the man took out a PET III from the pouch and aimed at the Plug - In port.

"Plug in! Colonel, Transmission!"

A Navi entered the Cyber World and faced a squad of V3 Viruses roaming around a control console.

His helmet had a triangle-like form which extended forward and included a small red triangle with golden rims on it: his ear pads had no drawing on them and black hair came out in pointed shape behind the partly open helmet.

His main body had a black suit which ended in Scottish skirt armor style.

The armor had high neck and his face was protected by a red-colored structure: there was a gap between the chest armor and the skirt around the stomach area and the emblem was set at the start of the skirt.

A yellowish-colored octahedron with a metallic gray circle was set there.

The circle had two small vertical squares colored black on the north and south ends complemented with a small rectangle on the middle of its surface: a gray-colored line formed around the upper edge of the skirt and then descended across the middle of it.

His shoulder pads which were placed at the sides of his shoulders were colored white and each had a small rectangle cavity on them.

His left wrist had a metallic bracelet which ended in a blade-shaped extension over the hand's palm while his right forearm had a red capsule-like object set on it from which a pale green saber emerged: the opening had four white-colored teeth-like pieces set around it.

Four pyramid-base-shaped yellowish shapes were drawn on the lower edge of the skirt: two per side.

The Navi also sported black boots with a thin gray-colored pattern bordering them which started a little below the knee and one small vertical yellowish rectangle slightly above of where the feet fingers ended.

He sported a blue silk cape which fell slightly short of reaching the ground and emerged from beneath his shoulders.

"Calling on Colonel." He muttered.

"Colonel! Cut off any lines communicating this door with the command center: we don't want the enemy to know on ahead of our intrusion."

"Roger!"

"Battle Chip, Meteor 9! Slot In!"

Red incandescent meteors appeared from the sky and bombarded the Garuus: many of them were deleted while Colonel jumped towards another pack of them.

"Screen Divide!"

An attack which formed the shape of the Alphabet "Z" letter covered the floor and erased the last of the Viruses.

"Operation: Rescue starts now. Maintain radio silence."

10:48 AM (Japan Time)…

_Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!_

DS Rock Man was sitting on the ground, cross-legged, next to the _futon_ where Netto was resting: the covers reached up until the neck thus fully covering his body.

His hair had been tinted black and messed around with to make it look somewhat different.

A blue backpack had been set on the ground next to DS Rock Man plus some a black-colored long-sleeved shirt, a black wool sweaters, jeans, navy blue boxers, black wool socks and, lastly, black-colored sneakers.

_Heh, heh, heh. Over 10 hours has been more than enough time for the "program" to execute… He will soon awaken… And everything will go according to my plan!_

"Uh… Unh… Uh…" The boy muttered.

_Yeah… The "program" is executing! Heh, heh, heh… I'm a genius: I end up winning no matter what you Net Police do!_

"… Who… am I…?" The boy wondered.

He slowly opened his eyes and revealed that his irises had changed to a red blood coloring: he had a confused or sluggish look to them as if he'd recovered from fainting.

"Good morning." DS Rock Man put up a "friendly" face.

"… Where am I…?" The boy asked.

"Well… It's an underground refuge... In Japan's Tokyo Prefecture… I rediscovered it some time ago." DS Rock Man replied.

"… What happened to me…?"

"I'm not sure… I found you yesterday evening: you'd fallen inside of one of the ventilation shafts from the surface, so I tended to you… You've been unconscious since then…" DS Rock Man trailed off.

"… Everything seems… blank… to me… I can't even recall… my name… at all…" The boy slowly intoned.

"What? Maybe you have amnesia? Maybe you hit your head with something as you fell through the shaft?"

"Guess so… Huh? What happened to my clothes?"

"Ah… They looked worn out, so… I managed to get a new set of them from a storeroom… It'd seem this place was used a few years ago but they forgot stuff there…" DS Rock Man admitted.

"… I feel weak. My stomach is rumbling. Don't you have something to eat…? Ah. Sorry… What's your name?"

"I'm Delta. A Net Navi."

"A Net Navi, huh… Wait a min! How can you be in the real world? Wasn't that impossible?" The boy frowned.

"Not anymore… A new system has been found: it's named "Copy Roid" and it basically is a robot shell which can morph and adapt to recreate any Net Navi's shape… They come with strength limiters and lockdown of Battle Chips and standard attacks for safety… I managed to get my hands into one of them." DS Rock Man, or, rather, Delta, explained.

"Cool… Say… Wasn't I holding a PET?"

"Yeah. Here it is…"

Delta took out a PET III from his right pocket's tunic colored purple and with the lowercase "Delta" symbol painted silver as the emblem: the boy slowly extended his right arm towards it and grabbed it: he seemed to frown.

"I'm sure this wasn't my emblem."

"Sorry. But the original one was totally scratched, slashed and hit over and over with what had the looks of a thick object… It was totally undecipherable so I took the freedom of switching it over."

"Wasn't I carrying any ID or anything?"

"No. The flash memory had been restored to default factory settings and anything which may have been here is gone forever. I searched your clothes, too, but you carried nothing but the Battle Chip pouch… Good Battle Chips, by the way." Delta detailed.

"Unh… Yeah… Say, did you say I'm in Japan?"

"Yeah. Didn't you realize we've been speaking in Japanese the whole time?"

"Oh. How silly… I dunno why but I think I'm not native to Japan. Maybe I was living overseas…" The boy frowned.

"Oh? I see. By the way… Could I give you a nickname for the time being before you remember your original name?"

"Sure."

"Eh… "Yami – kun" would be fine?"

"Yami… "Dark"… Two syllables… 17 strokes, I think… Easy to remember and to draw… Yeah. I'll be "Yami" until I remember who I am… I suddenly feel slightly stronger…" The boy muttered.

"Maybe the nutrients I gave you earlier through intravenous injection are taking effect. Try to at least lift your upper body."

Yami slowly articulated his hands before placing them parallel to his body: he lifted himself with the help of his arms and managed to sit up: the sheets slid down and he looked at the many cuts on his chest.

"What are these? How did I get these to begin with…?" He gasped and looked terrified.

"Dunno… You already had them on you. They look like they're just a few days old… But whoever did those to you had to be a sadist and a very cruel one, too." Delta put on a "worried" face.

"Yeah… I feel more energy-filled by now. Can you give those clothes? I'll feel better with something on." Yami requested.

"Sure."

Delta turned around while Yami put the clothes on at a calm pace: he entered the small restroom and looked at the mirror while blinking.

"Wait… My eyes…? Why are they red?"

"Sorry. I don't know, either." Delta shrugged.

"Huh. If at least I could remember something about me… Say… Is there anything important around here which isn't this refuge?"

"Well… There's a big city about 20km SSE from the main entrance… But I dunno if there really is anything "important": there are a lot of places inside of a city, after all." Delta frowned.

"Did you see anything weird when you found me?"

"Now that you mention it… The cover was hid between some bushes hence you may have stepped into it without realizing… But I heard footsteps and someone's voice… It didn't seem to be very "friendly", though… A man's voice…" Delta muttered.

"… Something about it makes a shiver go down my spine."

"Oh! By the way… Have this."

Delta suddenly took out a "Dark Synchro Chip" and handed it to Yami: he lifted it and had a look at it.

"Whoa. Looks cool."

"Yeah. It's named "Synchro Chip" and it triggers a process known as "Cross Fusion"… The Net Navi enters the real world "borrowing" the Operator's body inside of a space named "Dimensional Area"… Only a few privileged ones can use this. I managed to get my hands on it."

"Whoa. I'll be waiting to test it out. Say… Could I tag with you? I don't feel like I have anyone else who could help me."

"Sure. I'll be your new Net Navi if you want me to."

"Whoa. Thanks." Yami whistled in surprise.

"It's nothing…" Delta inwardly formed an evil grin.

11:03 AM (Japan Time)…

_Huff. This place is huge._

Barrel was silently making his way through the bunker: he had a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose to protect it from the dust and carried a flashlight as well: his eyelashes seemed to indicate that he was getting annoyed.

_I've been wandering this bloody bunker for twenty minutes already… _

He illuminated a door ahead of him and read its banner:

"BUNKER SECTOR 4 ENTRANCE"

_It was about time!_

He took out a lock pick and opened the door, which made no sound as it opened: he then started checking the doors built in the corridor and entered a room which had a bed, a desk, and an open suitcase with a pair of white boxers, jeans, socks and orange sneakers inside of it.

_They must be Hikari Netto's clothes: they told me he was missing the shirt and the vest when they abducted him…_

He checked the adjacent room and found four "dolls" about a meter and fifty tall which had a small cubical object protruding from the center of their blank faces and one round device with a green jewel on the middle of the chest: Barrel looked surprised.

_Copy Roids! I thought they were still on the drawing board for the summer Cyber City World Fair…! DS Rock Man and his accomplice must've gotten a hold of the schematics and built them on their own. Let's try something just in case…_

"Plug In! Colonel, Transmission!"

Barrel aimed his Progress PET's laser at the device in one Copy Roid's chest: it glowed and began to morph its shape: it soon assumed Colonel's shape and he shrugged.

"Hmm… They do work. This might facilitate things." Barrel commented.

"Hum. I see." Colonel calmly muttered.

"Let's continue."

"Yeah, Barrel."

Barrel and Colonel walked down the corridor: Barrel checked a second room but found it to be full of dust: some boxes were piled up there and he looked at their labels.

"Hmmm… Military rations from three years ago… It'd seem there was a live exercise here to test the bunker's effectiveness but forgot to properly vacate the stuff…" Barrel muttered.

"The dust levels would certainly match with the 3 years ago timeframe, Barrel…"

"Fine. Let's check another room: something tells me we're close to their location."

Barrel headed towards the end of the corridor and slowly tried to open the leftmost door: it didn't bulge.

"Aha-hah."

He let go of the handle and signaled a Plug – In Port: Colonel aimed his palms there and he automatically transferred inside of it.

"No good, Barrel... There's a "Dark Power" barrier blocking the switch off and I can't penetrate it."

"Guess we'll have to be somewhat loud… Return."

"Fine."

Colonel returned into the Copy Roid while Barrel opened another unlocked door and took out measuring tape: he began to check the length, height and thickness before writing it down on a scrap of paper using a pencil: he quickly made some calculations there.

"The Colonel Cannon at close-quarters should be enough to break the lock, I'd say. Get ready." He calculated.

11:14 AM (Japan Time)…

"… I packed some cookies and water in the bag. Truth is… I managed to get my hands into a discrete apartment: we could live there and I could file some silly thing like that you have a "learning disability" which justifies not going to school."

"Fine. Something tells me I haven't gone to school for some time, either, though… Like something was stopping me… But it's too vague. Maybe something will trigger other memories…"

Yami had put the backpack on and was standing in front of Delta while still holding the "Dark Synchro Chip" between his index and middle fingers of the right hand.

"Colonel Cannon!"

An explosion suddenly rang out and the lock was destroyed: the door deformed on that spot and someone kicked it open.

"Ah! Someone's here!" Yami gasped.

"What?" Delta looked nervous.

Colonel walked in followed by Barrel: Delta made a grimace and quickly blocked Yami as he spread his arms open.

"… That guy…! That guy…! I remember him…!" Yami suddenly formed a grimace and looked angered.

"Really?" Delta lifted an eyebrow.

"… I remember! I was taken away from my parents four years ago and have been living in Hell! They're part of a secret Ameroupe Army complot to "breed" a troop of "elite Net Battlers" and try to debunk Japan as the "star" of the Net Battles to keep their "supremacy"! They were always beating me up and forcing me into Net Battles by using several killer- model Net Navis…! They tried to brainwash me, too, but I always managed to resist it…! They tried to "toughen" me by forcing me into a real battle but I ran away through a forest and then fell down that ventilation shaft by accident…! They stole EVERYTHING from me!"

"Goodness!" Delta looked "shocked".

_What the hell! Those are those idiotic conspiracy rumors! He's been brainwashed! He's trying to control him instead of killing him… He won't get away with his one!_ Barrel thought while making a grimace.

Delta suddenly returned inside of the PET, to Yami's surprise: he grinned at him.

"Insert the "Synchro Chip"! Yell "Synchro Chip, Slot In! Cross Fusion!"… And we'll fight as one!" He commanded.

"Roger! Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

"What!"

A purple sphere of light formed from the PET and surrounded Yami: he laughed in a hysterical manner as the sphere encompassed him: both Barrel and Colonel had to shield themselves from the bright light by closing their eyes.

"Coming!" Colonel cursed.

The light died down.

The "Cross Fusion" design's main colors were black and silver: the design was almost identical to Rock Man's but the chest emblem was the main difference.

The emblem had a silver rim and the Greek symbol for the lowercase "Delta" engraved on it painted on a silver color and set against a black background: the same symbol was drawn inside of the pads, too.

The mouth guard was colored black and his eyes shone crimson red.

"Take this! Dark Chip! Dark Sword! Hra~h!"

"What!" Colonel gasped.

"CF" Yami formed what seemed to be the Dream Sword Program Advance but it was colored purple: he suddenly hit the floor with it and a purple-colored shockwave hit Colonel, inflicting major damage:

"Damn. The Copy Roid's armor is too weak!"

"Hroa~h! Dark Chip! Dark Cannon!"

A purple-colored Zeta Cannon formed on "CF" Yami's forearms next and he began to load it up.

"Say "farewell"…!" He roared.

"Colonel! Plug Out!" Barrel commanded.

"Huh! Damn it!"

"Shoot!"

The attack impacted upon the Copy Roid and blew it up: Colonel, however, was no longer using it and managed to escape just in time.

"The Navi ran… Whatever! Take this!"

"CF" Yami suddenly kicked Barrel's lower jaw and he lost his balance: he was soon showered by a rain of blurry kicks and punches.

"This is for my parents! My family! My friends! Everything! You jerks stole EVERYTHING from me! You tried to make a TOOL outta me! This is my REVENGE~! Take this, this and this!" He roared.

"W-wait…! You're being… manipulated…!" Barrel groaned.

"By whom? By you idiots! About time you confessed it, huh? Take this one for a size!"

He delivered a kick to the forehead and sent Barrel to hit the armored door: he was knocked out and "CF" Yami panted heavily while having a psychotic look to his eyes.

"Yami – kun…! Be careful: "Cross Fusion" is already a great strain on your physical strength and, if you make too much effort… It will come undone! Remember this!" Delta warned.

"Couldn't hold back…! Four years! Four years! They stole four years of my life and granted four years of sorrow to everyone! I won't stop until I expose them and make them be trialed!" He roared.

"Cool off. I have a device to escape and I programmed the apartment's coordinates. Let's go before more come."

"Yeah… Have at you!"

"Go out and head north: enter the third room." Delta whispered.

"O. K."

"CF" Yami ran out into the corridor and headed into Delta's room: he spotted a bulk covered by a camouflage net.

"That's it. Pull the cloak off."

"Like this…?"

"CF" Yami pulled out the camouflage net out of a tall open-cylinder shaped device painted in camouflage colors: it had two circles above and below the main body, which was just eight columns supporting the upper structure: the space between the columns was wide enough to enter the middle area easily.

"Whoa. Cool." "CF" Yami whistled in surprise.

"Press the red button to load it up: this thing will self-destroy once we reach our destination and those guys will be unable to find us inside of such a huge city." Delta instructed.

"Roger."

"CF" Yami pressed the button and the machine began to emit a soft humming sound: some lights ignited up and the humming began to gradually increase in sound: "CF" Yami ran towards the door and tried to lock it but found it to be damaged: he shrugged and kicked it shut before heading inside of the device.

"Transfer in 20 seconds." Delta announced.

"I'll tag with you until I can remember who my parents are and where I used to live. Then I will bring war to these guys. Hah, hah, hah, hah!"

The machine ignited and "CF" Yami laughed as he was warped out…


	20. Chapter 20: Hiding

**Chapter 20: Hiding**

12:39 PM (Japan Time), Monday January the 21st…

"… Vadous – san! Success?"

"Sadly… No."

"Why?"

"Netto – kun has been _brainwashed_ by him to be our enemy."

"No…! This can't be true, sir…!"

Saito's eyes began to water once Vadous reported the news: he looked like he was barely holding his anger back at all.

"Sadly… It is. Commander Barrel's report was very concrete. But now that we know his description, it can't be hard to trace him down. I've mobilized "Committee" agents to look for recently bought or rented flats: I'm sure he'll use those as a hideout." Vadous sighed.

"But how could the guy…?" Enzan politely asked.

"He hacked into my house's backup server because I was sloppy with its security and found the schematics for a chip implant I came up with some time ago… Its original purpose is to block or alter traumatic memories to help people with traumas by nullifying them… He's reverse engineered it to block Netto – kun's memories and implant fake memories into him to turn him into a puppet: the reason he wanted to torture him was to weaken his mindset. The whole "revenge" tale was a blatant lie: you don't come up with this in five minutes." Vadous detailed.

"Damn!" Saito cursed.

"That cannot be…!" Haruka looked pale.

"However! Given how _I_ was the one who designed that, I know how to revert the process. Please do not abandon hope! It may take several days, but… We will find him. I'm starting to work on a program to incapacitate Dimensional Converters: this way, he won't be able to avoid us so easily and we can corner him."

"… Boss… Sorry to cut you off, but… You should try to rest some hours: you haven't slept in more than 24 hours." Lartes suddenly called out off-screen.

"… I know. Lartes… This is up to you and Omega: I'm sure that you'll figure out something between the two of you." Vadous sighed.

"… Saito… Today I will not protest, but… Even if Netto isn't back tomorrow… You can't forget about the school… Maybe if you try to gather the help of your friends, they will contribute, too…" Haruka told him as she placed both hands over his shoulders.

"… Mama… Guess so… Netto – kun would not want me to hide things from his friends… I will… speak with them…" Saito muttered.

"Believing in the "bonds" you have built up is very important. If you believe in them, then… You can overcome anything." Vadous advised them while sighing.

"Overcome anything…" Enzan sounded surprised.

"Of course: if you want to believe in yourself, that's fine, too, but… One mustn't believe he is "overwhelming", "all-powerful" or "unbeatable" because those emotions only lead to arrogance and disgrace… Look at History: there are uncountable cases like those."

"Arrogance or disgrace…" Blues muttered.

"I will not lose hope. I know all of you will work nonstop for Netto's safe return… We must have faith." Haruka tried to look firm.

"Yeah… If we believe in everyone's power, then… One single bad guy won't be able to overcome it." Saito closed his fists.

"… All he did… And never wanted anything but a smile in exchange… And here I am, trying to make things out of "fame" or "reputation"… I really should learn from him… From… Netto..." Enzan commented aloud.

"Good luck. We will need it." Vadous announced.

A heavy air of defeatism hung around them…

08:09 AM (Japan Time), Friday January the 25th…

"… Ah. Man…"

Obihiro Shun walked across the upper floor of the Densan City Shopping Mall: he looked somewhat sad.

_Netto - kun was the one who made sure that I could be forgiven and the first person who offered to be my friend… And now he's been kidnapped and brainwashed by a Darkloid… What a disgrace… Poor Saito – kun must feel terrible being alone and without knowing where his brother is at or if he'll return to normal…_

Sighing, he entered a bookstore and began to distractedly glance at the shelves: he spotted another customer.

This customer boy slightly older than him, with silver-tinted hair and blue eyes: he was looking at one shelf and seemingly looking for a concrete _tankobon_.

His PET III was colored brown and green with a blue-colored Alphabet letter "M" as its emblem: the screen was empty, so the Navi wasn't present.

_Nowadays Alphabet letters seems to be the fashion when it comes to Navi emblems… _

Obihiro shrugged and headed towards a nearby terminal: he interacted with it and began to scroll down a list.

_Good! They just got it five days ago. Lucky~!_

"… Yo! Marcus! Ya back?"

"Yeah, Yami – kun. It'd seem you found the _manga_ you were looking for, then… Did you use the terminal?"

"Yeah. Very practical."

Obihiro distractedly glanced at the other customer: he was checking his PET III's screen and Obihiro could spot a brown and green-colored Net Navi with blue eyes: something about him made him frown.

_Why do I feel like I know both of them all of a sudden? _

"Well… I'll pay this and be on my way: there's a lot I wanna check out."

"Roger."

Yami headed over to the counter and took out his wallet to pay in cash: Obihiro quickly queued behind him and glanced as he came out of the store while looking excited.

"I'll buy this one." Obihiro announced as he set the _tankobon_ in the sales counter.

"Good. Cash?"

"Yeah. Here you have."

"Have a good day."

"Thank you very much."

Obihiro came out and spotted Yami heading over to the bridge crossing over the ground floor: six benches were set on the sides and he'd picked the rightmost one: the centermost south one was occupied by someone busy reading a newspaper and the other four were free: Obihiro quickly picked the leftmost southern one and brought out his _tankobon_ to hide while glancing over its rim from time to time.

_Yeah. I can't shake it off. His face… He looks like someone I used to know and I don't know that MANY people…I know! I'll try to make a photo and record his voice to then run a computer comparison. _

Obihiro took out his PET III and acted like he was still getting used to it: he focused on Yami's face as he was looking at the open _tankobon_ over his lap and took a photo: he then pressed a switch and waited.

"Fua~h… This _manga_ is good! I feel like I could spend the whole day here reading it." Yami muttered as he momentarily stretched.

The person behind the newspaper seemed to react somewhat but didn't change the pose: Obihiro caught wind of it, though, and lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

_That person noticed it, too? This is getting complex… Hmmm… Let's leave it as this and remember to run this analysis once we get back home to work on the forum…_

Yami then closed the _tankobon_ and stood up: he crouched to tie his shoe strings again and Obihiro spotted how the person behind the newspaper stood up and feigned not watching to purposely hit Yami with his left leg: he fell into the ground and Yami gasped.

"Mister! Are you alright?" He asked.

"Unh… I apologize…"

Obihiro gasped and recognized the man: Revolver Ocelot, or, rather, Mr. Denpa.

He had changed his hairstyle: his moustache looked more refined and his hair now reached until the base of the neck.

He now wore an open brown coat which reached until the knees coupled with a brown trench suit which had two black adjustable bands colored clear brown.

He had a black shirt under it plus a necktie: his pants were clear brown and his shoes were simply brown.

He sported smoked sunglasses

He also sported black fingerless gloves with an open square over the hand.

"I really apologize. I wasn't looking." Ocelot apologized as he stood up and shook some dust off him.

"N-no… I should've warned you, sir." Yami apologized.

"Well… Let's leave it as a simple accident by both of us. Do think of how to wisely use your time, young one."

"Uh… Thank you, sir."

Ocelot walked away and Obihiro quickly ran parallel across the floor until he crossed by the next bridge and reached him.

"Mr. Denpa?" He asked in a whisper.

"Mr. Obihiro… Did you pick some evidence, maybe?"

"Yeah. Voice and photo."

"Good. I set one of our bugs on him: it doubles as a GPS transmitter because… I am convinced it's our individual."

"Of course…! "Marcus" reminds me of Rock Man…! So he did change his appearance but his facial structure should speak by itself…!"

"Correct. But we could be mistaken, too. We will, for the time being, give them the benefit of doubt. But if we get any wind of a suspicious conversation, then we will close in: not even that bothersome individual will be able to stand to 3 high-class Navis at the same time." Mr. Denpa whispered.

"Good. Should I…?"

"Do not tell Saito – kun yet, please. We have no real evidence, but… One or two hairs got stuck to my leg. I can have them analyzed to clear any doubt: that guy doesn't have any tech capable of fooling a DNA scanner at all." Mr. Denpa requested.

"Sure. By the way… You improved your appearance."

"Obviously: anyone would fret at seeing a man carrying ammunition belts and SAA revolvers!" Mr. Denpa made a smile.

"True, sir, true… Anyway… Here's the data in case you want it."

Obihiro quickly entered his inbox and prepared an email to which he attached the photo and the audio files: Mr. Denpa's Blackberry beeped and he checked it out.

"Excellent. Maybe we can wrap this up sooner than we believe… I'm off to the HQ. Try not to cross paths with him: "Marcus" could get suspicious and things could be dangerous. Please be careful, Mr. Obihiro." He warned him.

"I will."

12:02 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Ah… Thrust more… I wanna feel it."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… It'd seem you're starting to like this "game", Yami – kun…"

"How couldn't I…?"

"Are you content?"

"Well…"

Yami and Delta were making out inside of an apartment's bedroom: Yami had the "S&M" gear into him and the black wool blindfold: his forearms had metallic pieces on them which were interconnected and locked behind his body plus ropes placed above and below his clipped nipples to have his arms immobilized: he also had pieces on the ankles connected by a short chain to keep his legs spread open.

"What's up?"

Delta was grabbing the sides of Yami's body and moving him up and down along the length of his cock as he sat on the bed: he looked slightly worried.

"… I still can't remember who my parents are, my true name or where I lived at… But… Sometimes… When waking up… I feel like a "void" inside of me… Depression… Sadness… Sorrow… Like there was nothing to look forward to… Like if one was questioning what point there was in doing something that day… Peaks of terror and hysteria… It's enough to drive me crazy, really…" Yami detailed.

"Weird." Delta made a "puzzled" face.

_Bothersome Rock Man! I couldn't totally erase the "linking" and it now works at a subconscious level for both parties involved… Yami – kun is the receiver end of Rock Man's own daily inputs… I should try to do something about it, but the chip is already running at 100% capacity: I don't wanna try to overload it because it wasn't designed to block incoming signals from such a weird frequency…! Che._

"… Is something bothering you, Delta? You don't sound like you're enjoying it." Yami looked towards him.

"Huh? Ah! Sorry… Eh… I was trying to find a logical explanation to that, but… Maybe they're memories of when those bad guys forced you to do horrible things?" He suddenly improvised.

"Oh! Yeah… Now it makes sense, really! Luckily, thanks to you, I'm now free from them… Well… For the time being, true… But given how I changed my description and such…"

"Don't worry: they went by the _cliché_ and believe you must be somewhere in the Tokyo extra radius! It'll take those guys _decades_ to look around there…" Delta drew a smug smile on his face.

"Good. By the way… What was the word to describe someone who likes painful inputs?"

"Ah. That's "masochism", Yami – kun."

"So I'm a "masochist", then… Sounds like a complicated word… But I don't really care. It's a game between guys." Yami shrugged.

"True, true…" Delta grinned even further.

"… Delta. What am I to you?" Yami asked.

"Huh? My companion…"

"Companion… Yeah. That's right. Sorry for the silly question. Drill me a bit if you may." Yami sounded amused.

"Sure."

Delta closed his right hand around Yami's cock and began to rub it while he gripped his balls with the left hand: Yami began to moan so Delta increased the speed.

"More…! Faster…!"

"Heh, heh. That voice is like music to my ears."

"Yeah… Coming!"

Yami suddenly released: he stained his upper face and torso with some white stains as Delta felt his insides gripping his cock: he closed his eyes and let out a large sigh of pleasure as he released and overfilled Yami's insides: some of the liquid slid down.

"Not bad… Do you want me to give you a blowjob?" Yami asked with a broad grin.

"Sure. Let me set you."

Delta lifted Yami off his cock and placed him face-up on the bed: Delta then spread his legs and sat on his knees around the area of Yami's neck: he used his right hand to caress his face and grinned.

_What smooth skin… A perfect shape… And I'm slowly making him be my perfect toy-boy… Yeah. That of the "revenge" was a _cliché _cover I came up with. My true objective has been gaining a custom toy-boy reserved for my exclusive use… But having him be just that would be boring: thus I went with this plan. Heh, heh, heh. _

He lifted Yami's head and placed his cock inside of his mouth: Yami began to lick around the head so it soon got hard: Delta placed both hands behind Yami's head and began to set a pace.

_But we may have to move to the "Beta" point soon… I rushed it too much when getting this apartment and the trail that this was bought recently is too much of a lead: not much people start buying apartments in January, after all… But Nagoya will be a better place to hide since I prepared a "contingency" over there. Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius. That "Vadous" guy must be about to go and screw legality to find me._

"… Yami – kun! It's coming out!"

He suddenly released and overfilled Yami's mouth: he calmly swallowed it and licked Delta's urethra thus sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine: Delta took his cock out and got into a face-up pose to Yami's right.

"Heh, heh. My finishing touch makes you reel, Delta."

"Sure does…" Delta made an uneasy chuckle.

"… But I think I've cooled off for enough days by now… Try to find out where those guys are at and we'll hit them." Yami told him.

"Yeah… Leave it up to me."

"Bully my nipples a bit: I wanna feel that tension which turns me horny over and over again…" Yami requested.

"Delighted."

Delta picked the clothes pegs and slowly turned them around as he pulled them upwards: Yami moaned in a pleasure and his cock suddenly got hard: Delta began to rub it and made sure to tease the urethra with his thumb finger.

"S-stop it, Delta…! It tickles…!" Yami laughed.

"Heh, heh. Since you asked for it…"

"… I got extra, huh?" Yami guessed.

"That's what I meant, yeah."

"Good. I'm going off!"

Yami released and stained his body again while Delta looked eager as lust shone on his eyes.

"Ah… Perfect. I now feel ready to tackle the afternoon with some researching of my own." Yami sounded relieved.

"And don't forget the lunch."

"How could I? I'm such a glutton…" Yami shrugged.

"Heh, heh. Gluttony Man, maybe?"

"No way…" He groaned.

"I see that you're ready for more, so… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh..."

Delta loomed over him and stuffed his cock into him before pulling the covers over them and giggling aloud as Yami began to moan from their "game" again…


	21. Chapter 21: Scheming

**Chapter 21: Scheming**

15:55 PM (Japan Time), Friday January the 25th…

"… There's no doubt anymore: it's him."

"Good. We must organize a move."

Chief Lezareno and "Ocelot" met inside of a small and largely unlit office-like room which only had a desk, two chairs and a few papers over the desk as well as a white phone: "Ocelot" was sitting on the chair behind the desk while Lezareno brought in some sheets of paper.

"… DNA test: check. Facial test: check. Voice test: check. There can't be any mistake." Lezareno announced as he looked up from the papers on his hands.

"I heard to the bug: "Marcus" is just a public name to hide and the coloring Mr. Obihiro described is part of it, too. It's our subject and it'd seem some aspects of the plan are not going like it'd like: he's been unable to suppress the "link" at subconscious level so "Yami" receives feed from Saito – kun's daily inputs. Mr. Sponsor did foresee it would eventually happen because the chip's capabilities were slightly downgraded in the schematics "Delta" stole from his residence: given Mr. Sponsor's slight untrusting behavior from time to time then it's no surprise he purposely "forgot" to include some details into the schematics and the coding." Mr. Denpa explained.

"Good. That individual will soon run out of ideas to shove off the suspicion once his "Yami" starts receiving new inputs which will make him question his "memories"… When should we hit them, though?"

"Hmmm… It'd seem they're planning to move to Nagoya, so… Let's let them move there and then we'll corner them there. It would be good to bring Saito – kun along: he has the key to shattering that "illusion" our villain came up with. We can end this in less than 48 hours."

"Agreed. It's time to end this."

"And for good."

16:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Crap. So those guys are actually closing in our trail and trying to go after them would be suicidal?"

"Yeah… That's why I prepared a new hideout in Nagoya."

"Good. And we're moving in the evening?"

"Correct. Those guys seem intended on trying to zero on us during the dawn, so… By the time they do they'll find this empty."

Yami was packing two sets of clothes into a brown suitcase while Delta stood nearby: he looked calm while Yami seemed to be nervous about the "news" he was being told about.

"Fine. I'll go have a pizza tonight. I wanna have something new. Since I'll be done before 20:00 PM, then it shouldn't be a problem, should it, Delta?" Yami asked.

"No. The "Dimensional Converter" is waiting on the basement and no-one can track it, so…" Delta shrugged.

"… Is it me or is something bothering you asides from those guys closing on us?" Yami suddenly asked.

Delta gulped and tried to keep a straight face although he was getting nervous.

_Crap! He's starting to question things… Gotta find a way to convince him …_

"And what would that be?"

"… Nothing. Paranoia, I think." Yami shrugged.

_Phew._

"Whatever. Once we get to Nagoya, we're going to hit those guys hard enough to make them regret messing with me."

"True, true!" Delta made a smug smile.

_Oh. Well. It can still be saved…_

18:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff… I feel so… miserable."

Saito was walking down a busy street with many cars going up and down: he was looking at the ground the whole time and didn't seem to be in high spirits at all.

_Netto – kun… Where are you? Can I help you? Please… Come back to me… I can't bear being without you… I can hardly live without you… Even though we're doing the best we can… It's already been 5 days… Don't let it get longer… I don't want to forget about our "love" for each other…! Please… Some hint… Some clue… Show up! _

He sighed, lifted his sight, and spotted a pizzeria next to him: his stomach rumbled and he blushed for a second.

_Oh. Well. Maybe having a pizza will fuel me up a little bit… _

He entered and sat down next to a table.

"What would you wish?" A waiter asked.

"I would like a marguerite pizza, if I may." He decided after looking at the chart.

"Do you wish something to drink?" The waiter inquired.

"Some cold water will do fine, thank you very much."

The waiter headed towards the kitchen to relay the orders: Saito then spotted another person who was eating his meal in a corner: he could only see the hair since he was giving him the back.

_Whoa. Silver hair, like Blues'… Looks cool._

"… Marguerite pizza and water." The waiter announced a few minutes later as he brought it.

"Thank you."

Saito made a weak smile and began to eat the pizza while being seemingly lost in thoughts.

… _Weird. I've had a feeling like my signal is getting stronger… But why should it? Unless…_

He finished his meal and called for the waiter, who brought him the bill: Saito took out some money and paid it.

_Let's see… The signal seems to be less than 10m away from here. And it seems to get stronger if I face the NNW… Huh? Maybe that person… It could be, yet… Let's try speaking with him._

He stood up and walked over to his table: he gently tapped the back of his shoulder and he turned around.

"Yeah? What's up?"

… _No. The hair color and eye color don't match. And his face is slightly different, so… Maybe something else is messing with the signal._

"Eh… Have you seen this boy? He vanished 5 days ago." Saito asked as he took out a photo of Netto's face.

"Hmmm… He rings a bell somewhere."

"Really?"

"Oh! I remember! I saw him running down a street when he suddenly entered a side alley. He looked afraid of something which seemed to be chasing him, since he was looking over his shoulder from time to time with a face of angst."

"Where?" Saito asked.

"I think it was Densan Avenue… It happened about two days ago… I looked into the side street since I was intrigued, but only saw a blue van speeding away. The street was called "Narashita Street"..."

"Thank you very much!"

_Hmmm… That guy told me that the guy on the photo had been reported disappeared five days ago… I've been with Delta for five days ago… And why do I feel like something inside of me wants to come out but is unable to? This is so weird... Is something wrong with my head or what?_

18:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Correct… Number 7… Here you have. Good. Thank you."

Lezareno came out of a gas station's shop and climbed into the black Honda: Ocelot was hearing to something using an earphone and looked nervous.

"Chief! Drive out to Narisha Street: it may be a matter of life or death, so please don't mind speed limits or traffic lights!"

"Really? Then let's hurry: that's about 15 minutes from here because of that one-way avenue which needs to be detoured… And let me guess: the one behind this possible "trap" is our subject."

"I'll explain along the path! Please hurry it up!"

"Roger!"

Lezareno turned the engine on and shot out of the gas station while Ocelot made a grimace as he punched a telephone number into his cell phone.

"Hello? Hello? Damn. The bothersome bastard! He's jammed the line so that we can't warn him. We gotta make in on time or we'll only find a corpse by the time we get there!" Mr. Denpa cursed.

"Damn. That's starting to make me remember that there was a notorious criminal still on the run who got employed at high-reward jobs. I'm sure the man is the trap!" Lezareno hissed.

The black Honda FRV model turned a corner at a mad speed with its tires screeching and ignoring a red traffic light: it then continued forward until it spotted two apartment blocks close to each other.

"Here! Stop, Chief! Let's split: I'll take the left, you take the right! We gotta hurry: we have about three minutes! Luckily, none of these is taller than 6 floors…" Mr. Denpa instructed as he ran out of the car.

"Roger. Let's go!"

Both drew guns and ran into each apartment block.

"The roof…!" Lezareno muttered as he examined the hall.

He called for the elevator and pressed the 'attic' button: the elevator began to climb and Lezareno took off his gun's safety.

"Beretta M92F modified to hold tranquilizer bullets… This could even knock an elephant out." He muttered.

He tapped the ground in an impatient manner as the elevator climbed up and stopped into the attic floor with a soft PING sound: Lezareno ran out even before the doors had fully opened and spotted the stairs leading to the rooftop: the door's lock had been broken.

"I thought as much." He cursed.

He slowly opened it and saw a man's silhouette standing with one foot over the handrail and aiming what obviously was a sniper's rifle at the alleyway between both buildings.

"Heh, heh, heh. Look up, gnat. I'll send you straight to Hell through the great me's toy." The man muttered.

"Freeze." Lezareno commanded.

"What the…! The KCK?" The man gasped.

"Whatever. Go to sleep."

"Shut up! Die!"

"Wrong."

Lezareno suddenly ran from side to side in a blur and soon appeared in front of the man: he grabbed the rifle out of his hands and used its butt to hit the man on the stomach: he groaned and clutched that area but Lezareno then hit the rear of his skull with it to knock him out: he dropped the rifle into the ground and panted.

"Good work, Chief!" Mr. Denpa called out from the right rooftop.

"Thank you… We made it on time, somehow…."

"Yeah… We really did…"

18:58 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huh…? How in the…?"

Saito came out of the street with a confused look.

_This is the street! Why isn't there a clue left behind? Have I overlooked something?_

He looked around the main street and spotted a familiar black Honda FRV model parked with its engine on and all of the warning lights blinking: he then looked at the registration plate.

_This is Denpa – san's car! What it's doing here? _

"Mr. Saito. It's been a while."

Lezareno came out of the left building.

"Chief Lezareno! What's going on?"

"You were led into a death trap, sir."

"N-no way…! Why would a boy I just met…?"

"He isn't to blame: that "memory" was a fake input from Delta. He's the person we've been looking for."

"Really? Then… The reason the signal was so strong was…! I should've realized it earlier!" Saito gasped.

"Good evening…" "Ocelot" greeted as he came out.

"Denpa – san…! So, you gentlemen found him at last?" Saito asked with obvious expectation.

"Correct. This morning, truth to be told. Please come with us: we'll explain everything along the way."

"Roger."

Saito climbed into the front middle seat while Lezareno sat on the driver's seat and Ocelot into the passenger seat: they spotted a patrol car heading over there as they pulled away.

"They'll take care of the mercenary… We handcuffed him to prevent the subject from running."

"So, do you know where Netto – kun is at?"

"He's just moved to Nagoya. Going after him right now is not a good idea by any means: he's been led to believe he's being "chased" and will offer resistance: it would be good to settle it for tomorrow's morning. If you hadn't realized… You two are still connected at the subconscious level: not even "Delta" was able to block that off because the chip implant was not programmed to do that: but it does manage to be a one-way only feed from you to him which seems to work in the mornings, when his brain is still "waking up" per se…" Mr. Denpa explained.

"We were still connected…! And I didn't realize it…!"

"That's why I said it was "subconscious level"…"

"Ah. I am sorry."

"No need to, Saito – kun. Anyway… We'll drive you home and do try to rest: we need to be fresh for tomorrow's morning. We'll find an opportunity to come into the apartment when they go out and be waiting for them: he's starting to question some of his "memories" and the behavior of "Delta", so… Between the two of us, we could make some of his real memories emerge… And Mr. Sponsor told me he's worked on a remote device to switch part of the device: with those two trump cards in our hands we'll be able to end this sad tale." Mr. Denpa continued explaining while forming a smile.

"Good! I can't wait for it… We would've closed this up in less than six days, even!" Saito looked rejoiced.

"True. Sometimes, coincidences and suspicion are good tools to seize a powerful lead. That villain can't run away anymore: he's cornered between the sword and the wall: and he'll soon be secluded in the Net Prison, anyway. There's no breaking free from it. Such criminals deserve being isolated forever, really." Lezareno muttered.

"Netto – kun… Hang in there! I'm coming to take you back home…!

19:13 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho. Telling "Regret" that he's gonna "regret" having his ugly fleet blown up by the Corps?"

"Omega… That wasn't the original quote."

"Got some news…"

"Good?"

"Yeah. We found him. Nagoya."

"Really?"

Vadous had been distractedly playing _Halo 2_ when Omega popped his head into the room with a broad grin: Vadous firstly looked resigned but quickly switched moods: he hit the "START" button to pause the game and jumped off the chair.

"Yeah. Mr. Denpa just contacted me: he requests the remote to nullify some of the programming the "gizmo" has on it." Omega explained as he stepped in.

"Good. Send it to him ASAP: I'll be standing by in case something was to happen: DS Rock Man is desperate enough to go to any ends. He's starting to remind me of the "Ice Queen", even." Vadous fumed.

"Boss… That guy isn't even 13 years old. He was "born" as an "evil" guy per se, but the "Ice Queen" got there through lust and avarice. Well… The guy is also moved by lust but I guess avarice doesn't fit the guy." Omega sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I knew that… I was being ironic." Vadous muttered.

He took out a small remote from a drawer and tossed it to Omega, who caught it with the right hand: he nodded and turned around to head out of the room.

"I'm going to rest. Good evening."

"Good evening."

Omega closed the door while Vadous sat down on the chair and continued his play-through.

_We did it! Lartes was right: trying to overwork myself from the start wasn't good: I've left it up to the "Committee" and they've done a splendid job finding it out… Yet… Something is still picking on me…_

"… _You_ make my mother-in-law look pretty!" Someone exclaimed off-screen within the game.

"Really… A Grunt does…?" Vadous looked amused.

He chuckled and continued playing as he seemingly was trying to concentrate on something else.

… _Oh. Yeah. The signals I could interpret from Saito – kun's feed to Netto – kun's implant… There was a reception acknowledgment, yet… Something looked strange: the chip looked like it was using more memory and processing than it should… Or maybe that jerk didn't properly calibrate it when he reverse-engineered it. Anyway… The chip has one or two surprises which will make that jerk tremble in fear 'cause he won't be able to control them._

"… Oh, man! I love the beach!"

"I hope you packed a suit, mate!"

"Cut the chatter… We got trouble."

"Heh, heh. Yeah… Tons of enemies to beat up ahead… Thanks for the warning, Cortana. These guys can get jumpy from time to time and need to be straightened out." Vadous chuckled.

He continued playing as he whistled a tune and then put down the controller after another few minutes.

"O. K. Level cleared… Let's get ready to hit the sack: all will end tomorrow, with some fortune. And that jerk can already pack up to run to the end of the world: they messed with the wrong guy."

Vadous formed a grin and chuckled under his breath…


	22. Chapter 22: Light

**Chapter 22: "Light"**

11:33 AM (Japan Time), Saturday January the 26th…

"… Phew. The air is colder in Nagoya but, well… It was good to go out and shake off this heat."

Yami stepped into an apartment and closed the door: he then headed into the living room and sat down on a sofa: he looked somewhat worried and he glanced at his empty PET III.

_Delta said he had something urgent to take care of… But I've been feeling weird since last night. I didn't tell Delta, but… Some memories began to surface and they had a "real" feel to them, somehow… A house somewhere… A classroom… A laboratory… A playground… A Battle Chip Store… They felt important, but I couldn't anyone in them… And, this morning, that "down" feeling was not there: instead, I could felt intense "eagerness" like someone was looking forward to something important today… I also felt the "down" feeling followed by a "hopeful" feeling at the pizzeria… Yet… I suddenly feel like Delta is feeling unsatisfied. Is he hiding stuff from me? Well… He hasn't even told me who programmed him to begin with, either… And also… I feel like "something" inside of me wants to "come out" but there's an "obstacle" blocking it off… Yet it seems to have increased in strength: there are moments when I feel like I blank out and I don't receive any inputs…_

He sighed and began to pace around the living room while bringing the right hand to his forehead: he seemed to be feeling a headache or something similar given his expression.

… _Am I really a "companion" to Delta or I'm just here to be his playmate at the "game" by taking the role of the "slave"…? He certainly seems to enjoy seeing me crave for more, but… Maybe I'm not really like that? Maybe he "shaped" me to fit his fantasies? Maybe my "life" was not stolen by any conspiracy and HE "stole" me? Was my black hair color "real"? Is my red iris color "real"? What's "real"? What's "artificial"? Where do one's "consciousness" and "memories" start and end at? I suddenly doubt if I myself am "real" to begin with…_

"Correct." Someone suddenly announced.

Yami gasped and opened his eyes to see Saito standing there while looking calm and collected.

"You…? From yesterday…? How did you know I moved…? More importantly: how did you get inside?"

"I had help. But that line of thinking is correct: you're not wholly "real" and those "memories" you were experiencing up until yesterday were "artificial", too." Saito replied.

"Then… I'm not Hikarawa Yami? Who am I?" He asked.

"Hikari Netto – kun: my young twin brother."

"Yami" suddenly brought both hands to his head and seemed to be feeling an intense headache: he calmed down and blinked several times.

"Saito… niisan…?" He asked.

"Netto – kun!" He gasped in joy.

"… I'm alive, then? I'm sane?"

"Yeah. That guy lied: his goal was to brainwash you into being his "playmate", but… He couldn't destroy our "link": I've been feeding you memories to help you break free from that "illusion"… They used a chip implant designed by Vadous – san to block your memories and "reset" you to shape you again from zero." Saito sighed.

"I see… Yet… Something feels weird. I mean… If I had been brainwashed, I should remember everything I did, shouldn't I? It's not like with Obihiro – kun: I wasn't being remotely controlled in "live", was I?" Netto suddenly asked.

"No. Delta wanted you to decide by your own within a range of values he'd preprogrammed into you." Saito frowned.

"Weird. But I can't remember anything ever since Sunday night. I suddenly feel like I "broke free" from a cage or cell and through a "wall" of some sort… This is getting strange, niisan."

"Sure it is, but Vadous – san will be able to purge that: he came up with the device to begin with, so…"

"Yeah… Did I cause trouble for you guys?"

"Not really… Delta is the one to blame: but Omega – san is hunting him to send him to the Net Prison."

"What day is today, anyway?"

"Saturday January the 26th…"

"And I stopped "remembering" on Sunday's midnight… It's been six days yet I don't remember anything I did. It's bugging me and now I feel like something is "pulling" me." Netto frowned.

"It must because the implant is still working: we can disable part of it right here and now, but… We'd need you to undergo a little examination to then disable it." Saito told him.

"That won't do." A voice rang out.

A "Dimensional Converter" suddenly popped out of the floor and triggered a "Dimensional Area": Delta materialized on the scene while having a grimace on his face.

"You! Rock Man! Bothersome guy. Always getting in my way!" He cursed aloud.

"Hum. So Omega – san didn't manage to find you yet… But he will soon and you stand zero chances against him." Saito calmly told him.

"Get lost, you leech!" Netto cursed.

"Che." Delta grumbled.

"_Game Over_: and there are no continues." Saito added.

"Idiot. Did you really think I wouldn't come up with a backup plan just in case? I've had this plan in mind ever since that day when Shadow Man kicked my ass." Delta hissed.

"Boast all you want."

"This is not a boast, Rock Man. I'll set to it that you end up destroyed by MY hands." Delta shot at him.

"And do you think I would be so stupid to charge in into here without some support, Delta?" Saito calmly shot back.

"What!"

"Ahem, ahem. Ocelot. Revolver Ocelot."

"Ocelot" stepped into the room while holding a SAA revolver on his right hand aimed for Delta's chest emblem.

"The man from yesterday morning…! You placed a bug on my "toy", didn't you?" Delta hissed.

"… "Toy"…! I'm not a "toy"…! I'm a human!" Netto roared.

Saito quickly grabbed him and held him back before he could try to go and attack Delta with a knife he'd taken out of a pouch on the left side of his shorts.

"Netto – kun! That's what he's aiming for that! He wants you to get angry, lose the grip on yourself, and then try to force the "program" into you to control you again! Get a hold of yourself!" Saito told him.

Netto gasped and quickly dropped the knife as he seemingly tried to recover his breath: Delta made a smug smile and Ocelot didn't stop aiming for him.

"Is that weapon really able to hurt me, gramps?" He taunted.

"Maybe you would prefer Omega's saber through your body, then, DS Rock Man?" Ocelot taunted back.

Delta gasped and looked afraid, for once, as he quickly looked around: he seemed to fear that Omega would pop out and attack him.

"C-crap…! That Omega is here…?" He muttered.

"He's very skilled at infiltration in case you didn't know."

"Shit."

Delta suddenly aimed his right hand's index finger at Netto and made a grimace as it shook with fury: Netto frowned but he suddenly cried and dropped into his knees while clutching his head.

"Damn. He wants to overwrite his true memories!" Saito hissed.

"Do not worry."

Ocelot took out the remote and inputted a code using a keypad it had: but the thing buzzed and the word "ACCESS DENIED" appeared on the screen colored red.

"What!"

"Hmpf. I did make sure to lock all access to it after the initial unlocking: I can't lose everything when I'm so close to victory!"

"Netto – kun! Hang in there! Remember! You're a Net Savior! You have to defeat the enemy! Capture him!" Saito rallied.

"Capture… Enemy… Net Savior…?" He muttered in a confused tune of voice.

"Wake up! This is reality! Delta is using you!"

"Delta… You used me…!"

"All's fair in love and war." Delta made a smug smile.

"… Hmpf. You mean "lust", fool." Ocelot grumbled.

"Whatever."

"Fight! You're Hikari Netto! You're everyone's "hero"… "Hikarawa Yami" is an illusion! A fantasy! A fake!" Saito kept on rallying.

"Who is... the main…?"

"The main…?" Saito frowned.

"Who is… in control…?"

"Delta is trying to control you through a chip inside of your head! Fight him back! He only brings pain!"

"… Pain… Control… Main… Fantasy… Illusion… Fake… No… This is "real", too…"

"… Curry rice!" Saito rallied next.

"… Not bad…"

""Not bad"? It's your favorite meal! Snap out of it already! Who defeated the Dream Virus twice and brought "Gospel" down? You, Netto – kun! Awaken!"

"Huh… Guh… Gua~h!"

He suddenly arched his head backwards and let his arms hang limb before his head lowered towards the ground and his sight was hidden.

"Netto – kun…?" Saito nervously asked.

"… You mean "Yami"…! I now understand what's going on… I'm another "state" for this guy's brain… I'm a _split personality_! Hikarawa Yami! I'm in control… And I don't care if Delta was using me for his lust… I have power and I can do whatever I like with it!"

He suddenly stood up and began to choke Saito, who began to fight back: Ocelot shot a bullet from his SAA Revolver which skipped the upper edge of the left shoulder by inches and hit the wall instead: Yami gasped and looked at Ocelot, so Saito used the chance to kick him in the chest to break free and try to regain his breath.

"Split… personality…! So this why… Netto – kun… didn't remember what he'd been doing…! He wasn't in "control"…!" Saito coughed.

"Crap. That gramps' guns are real…!" Yami made a grimace.

Delta suddenly appeared inside of the PET III and made signals with his eyebrows: Yami took out his tongue and licked his lips like he was about to savor what was going to come: he drew the "Dark Synchro Chip" and quickly slotted it inside of the PET III.

"Dark Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"

"No…!" Saito gasped in horror.

"CF" Yami appeared on the scene and laughed as the purple-colored aura surrounded his body: he suddenly warped and appeared behind Saito to close his right forearm around his neck.

"The revolver tricks won't work anymore, gramps! If you're so eager to fill something with lead, I'll provide that "something"… Zero One!"

A copy of Zero colored purple and sans his blond hair appeared inside the room: it drew a purple-colored sword and advanced towards Ocelot, who made a grimace.

"You're coming with us, Rock Man. And you die today, too." "CF" Yami icily announced.

"No…! Release Netto – kun…!" Saito coughed.

"That guy will die, too, so that you don't feel lonely in Hell! "Dimensional Converter": self-destruct after transfer!" "CF" Yami laughed.

"Denpa… san…!" Saito called out.

"Damn!" Ocelot hissed.

The white shaft of light formed at their feet and "CF" Yami vanished along with Saito: the "DC" glowed and then blew up, thus forcing the "Zero One" to dematerialize: Mr. Denpa snarled and quickly took out his cell phone to dial a number.

"Mr. Sponsor!"

"What's going on? I lost Saito – kun's signal!"

"It turns out that that bastard forced a split personality on Netto – kun: he's violently taken control and abducted Saito – kun! He really plans on killing them!"

"Shit! And I suspect where they went to: I gotta be on my way ASAP if I want to avoid such an outcome!" Vadous roared.

"Please hurry, sir! Every second counts!"

Ocelot clutched the cell phone and made a grimace…

11:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… What should we do about him, Delta?"

"Leave it to me..."

Both Yami and Delta were standing in the bunker room which they had used a few days ago: Saito was lying out cold on the floor with a bruise on the back of his head and his hands tied behind his back with ropes around the wrists.

"I'll take care of this one, Yami – kun. Now… If you use the _gizmo_, you should be able to directly confront Hikari. You can physically interact in a digital environment and delete him from your mind by killing him off and, then, you shall be complete." Delta explained.

"I like how that sounds. I'll go to my room. I'm going to settle this once and for all." Yami sneered.

"Sure. Go ahead. I've got some preparations to take care of, anyway, before I kill this guy. Make sure to make it agonizing for that guy, too, since it'll be sweeter." Delta licked his lips.

"Obviously… Hmpf. I won't mind being your "toy" after this since I'm a good masochist already. We depend on each other, anyway… Heh, heh, heh, heh…" Yami shrugged.

He exited the room and closed the door behind him as Delta rummaged into a suitcase and took out several toys plus a spare S&M gear, ball-gag and black wool blindfold.

"I'm going to make it more agonizing for this guy. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… And once both of these eyesores are removed from the picture, nothing shall stop us "Demon Tribe" from promoting "evil" across this planet… The "Subspace" guys can look for us all they want: they won't be able to find us." He muttered with obvious evil on his voice.

He then turned Saito around and removed the wrists ropes for a moment to take his vest and shirt off: he placed the gear's armlets on them and locked them as he giggled under his breath…

11:52 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Ugh… Where the hell is this at…?"

"Your mind, Hikari."

"You!"

Netto awoke only to find himself strapped to a wooden chair and having the S&M gear on his body: some ropes were placed above and below his nipples as well as beneath his knees and around his ankles to keep him immobilized and tied into the chair: Yami was standing in front of him while holding a taser on his right hand and having a smug smile on his face: he looked deadly.

"You lowlife!" Netto hissed.

"Hmpf. This is a recreation of our mindsets inside of the chip. It will allow me to torture you and bend you before killing you off for good. The same fate is waiting for Rock Man… Today is your last day. No "feed" will help you this time around, Hikari." Yami grinned.

"Hikarawa! You lowlife!" Netto growled.

"Yeah… That proud face of hate and anger… You'll soon be craving for mercy before I finish you off."

"Damn!" Netto cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh. Once Delta gives me the signal, I'll begin. This will be synchronized so that both of you will die at the same time. Hell is waiting for you along the mourning souls of those you murdered."

"I never murdered anyone!"

"Or should I say, deleted? Whatever. You will be dead in less than 30 minutes from now: nothing can stop us "Demon Tribe" from rising to glory! Today the _Sith_ win, _Jedi_. Heh, heh, heh."

"Damn! Is there no way out?"

Yami merely chuckled while Netto struggled…

11:54 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Quick, quick! Where's that emergency program I'd designed for such a case? Damn! I should've installed a "search" engine ages ago but I've been too lazy! This is now going to cost someone's life!"

Vadous was typing at a mad speed on his supercomputer and browsing through several folders and files.

"Omega! Any luck tracing the signal?"

"The guy set up the same trick as last time: random routing protocols in several routers!" Omega growled.

"Last time…! Of course…! They're in the same bunker in which Commander Barrel found them at! I need to hurry and find that Goddamn program already…! Come back and give me a hand: Netto – kun's survival depends on this!" Vadous hissed.

"Roger."

Vadous violently stood up and began to hit the keys with violence as drops of sweat slid down across his forehead: he looked extremely nervous and about to reach his limit.

"No! No time to rest even for five seconds! I gotta find this NOW or it'll be too late! Damn me! I should've placed it on a folder which wasn't stuffed so deep within the main HDD drive!" He hissed.

He suddenly opened a file which displayed several lines of text: he gasped and began to quickly scan and scroll it down.

"Found it…! As I thought: I still have this trick! Quick! I gotta download this and prepare it to access the chip: it will skip the lockdown that bastard set up because it's a "must-have" category file!"

Vadous quickly plugged a PET III into the console and inputted some commands: the PET III pinged and he was already running off while putting his faceplate on.

_Resist! I'm almost there…!_


	23. Chapter 23: Evil's fall

**Chapter 23: Evil's fall**

12:02 PM (Japan Time), Saturday January the 26th…

SPLASH!

"Grah! Cold!"

Saito suddenly awoke when he felt cold water hitting his body: he quickly looked in front of him and spotted Delta holding an empty blue plastic basin: he dropped it into the ground and drew a knife.

"Rock Man! You will be disgraced before stepping into hell!"

"You…!" Saito hissed.

He then spotted how his body had the S&M gear set into it and he was standing vertically: he gasped and tried to struggle.

"Useless. Have this!"

Delta began to inflict several cuts on Saito's flesh which varied in length, orientation, depth and height: Saito yelled and closed his eyes as he arched his body in a violent manner.

"Enough."

Delta dropped the knife and moved behind Saito: he took out his cock and violently forced it up his insides: he placed the clothes pegs on his nipples and balls as he rammed into him.

"Hmpf. Your hole is about 2cm wider than Hikari's… No wonder how the guy liked stuffing it into you the whole time… But I'd rather say the guy was in the lower position and preferred you stuffing it in."

"Y-you jerk…!" Saito cursed.

"Hmpf. Whatever."

"Let me go!"

"No. You die today."

"Damn!"

Delta eventually released and brought up a whip: he began to hit Saito's back and he yelled in agony as he rocked back and forth: Delta discarded it and picked a red candle which he ignited with a lighter: he began to drop some hot wax down on Saito's body and he yelled again.

"How is it? Feeling the pain? Hmpf. You will die amongst endless pain and your soul will wander Hell forever!"

"S-shut up!" Saito groaned.

Delta kicked Saito's balls in a violent manner and he collapsed from the pain: he slapped his right cheek and forced some very thin bead-like objects inside of Saito's cock: his eyes opened wide and he seemed to be agonizing.

"M-my penis…! You'll rip it open from the inside…! Stop…! This is killing me…!"

"Hmpf."

"Y-you sadist!"

"Yeah. I'm a pro sadist. But this is pale compared to what happens in the remains of the so-called "Secret Empire"… If I had had patience, I'd rather tossed you there not to be seen again for years… Day after day of endless pain… You'd rather commit _seppuku_ than live another day only for that cycle of pain, agony and abuse to repeat itself during countless hours in that same day." Delta smugly announced.

"W-what the…!"

"Hmpf. Compared to that… Ten minutes before dying is nothing. And it'll be instant death: if a bullet shatters the electronic components of your artificial brain, then you die just like a human… Dying _twice_… Heh, heh, heh, heh… It'll chase you forever in Hell… The ghosts of those who you deleted out of cold blood…"

"L-liar! I only fought because there was no other way around! I always tried to avoid a fight…!" Saito protested.

"Hmpf."

Delta removed the beads and pulled some of the skin at the cock's base: Saito made a grimace and panted heavily as his vision blurred.

"No. You will experience all of it."

SLAP!

"Grah!"

Delta had slapped his left cheek and he now picked even larger beads which he forced inside of Saito: he stuffed a 7cm vibrator and turned it on to make Saito agonize: he began squeezing the beads inside and he yelled in despair.

"Yeah… Despair! Fear! Terror! Those will destroy you! You will suck all of those inside… And wait until you experience how it feels to have all of them removed at the same time… Hmpf. I'll then place all vibrators and you… But unlike Hikari, I won't plug you. Instead, if you release, then you die. You will be struggling to live longer as you hold back your release but you will eventually submit to it and bring death to your own self… Fitting, ain't it, Rock Man?" Delta laughed.

"N-no…! That's inhuman…! You're a monster!" Saito gasped in fear and looked terrorized.

"No. I'm a Demon! A Demon who brings death… And a Demon which will stir the flames of war across this world…!" Delta exclaimed.

"D-damn it…! I can't believe… I'm going to die… like this…!"

"Believe it… You have less than 20 minutes left…!" Delta licked his lips in eagerness.

"You leech…! Vadous – san will… turn you into raw data…!"

"Hah. That man won't be able to find me again. Ever. He will be shunned by everyone for failing to protect you two over and over again!" Delta laughed in a hysterical manner.

"Shit… He's gone nuts!" Saito hissed.

_There's gotta be a way out of this…!_

12:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmpf. There. Make a good blowjob or I'll electrocute you again, you useless slave… You're just a piece of meat to be used!"

Yami was forcing Netto to suck upon his cock as he set a quick pace by pulling some of Netto's hair forward: he was holding the taser on his left hand and it was frizzling.

"How do those two 5 cm vibrators feel? That's the feeling of being stuffed with two manly cocks! And, like Delta said, if you release, then you die, Hikari! There! Finish it up and swallow it up!"

Yami pushed Netto's head totally forward and grinned as he released and overfilled Netto's mouth: he then took it out and Netto panted as some of the liquid dripped down across his chin and fell on top of his cock, which was already hard: Netto closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he seemingly tried to prevent his release.

"I'll make it harder, even!"

Yami placed those four capsule-shaped vibrators plus the clothes pegs on the nipples and bags: he didn't turn the vibrators on yet and rummaged into his right pocket to take out a gun which he aimed at Netto's forehead: his eyes widened in fear and he tried to break free in vain.

"Useless, Hikari. You will die today. Once you do, then nothing and no-one will stop us. Such is the destiny Nebula Grey – sama set for us in advance thanks to his "Dark Power"… Don't you realize? Forte just destroyed the physical form of Nebula Gray – sama but its "soul" continues to live on as the "Dark Power": a program containing Nebula Grey – sama's fragments on all Navis! His will is inside of them and inside of my mindset, too!" Yami announced.

"D-damn! Regal…! If you hadn't built that thing… This wouldn't have happened…!" Netto cursed.

"Time's up. I just got the signal from Delta."

He turned on the vibrators and Netto began to agonize.

_Saito – niisan…!_

_Netto – kun…!_

_Hold on, please…! Something… a miracle… I'm sure that a… miracle will happen and… we will be saved…! We MUST believe in everyone…! Our "bonds" will… guide them here…!_

_Netto – kun…! Yeah… We can't give up at this spot…! Something will happen… Something will save us…!_

_If not… Niisan. I really enjoyed this time I've spent with you ever since March… I won't have any regrets…_

_Papa did grant me a second chance to continue living… And Vadous – san helped me cross the ultimate frontier… _

_Niisan… No matter what happens… Will we still "love" each other?_

_I promise, Netto – kun…! No matter what happens…!_

_Thank you, niisan… I owe you a lot…_

_You don't "owe" me anything, Netto – kun… We just… helped each other like… any brothers… would do…_

_True… Ugh…! Niisan… I don't think I'll be able to hold it back for much longer…!_

_Netto – kun…! You said it: we mustn't give… ugh… up! But… grah… it's getting harder to hold back…!_

_Niisan… Saito – niisan… Even after the funeral seven years ago… I never gave up hope. I always believed you would come back… That you'd reincarnate somehow… And I was right… You "reincarnated" as Rock Man EXE…!_

_Netto – kun…! You always believed on me…? I'm so happy to know it… You never gave up hope…! Thank you…!_

_Ugh… Guess this is the end… Niisan…_

_Netto – kun…!_

"Attention. Emergency orders uploaded into the system." An auto voice suddenly rang out.

"What "emergency orders"…?" Yami cursed and began to look all around him.

"Emergency order 24B/17's contents read the following: "isolate split personality labeled Hikarawa Yami and seal within a read-only directory for immediate extraction via wireless." … Execute order."

A blue circle was drawn on Yami's feet and a metallic cylinder suddenly formed around him: it had a small curved glass window which allowed one to look inside and vice versa: Yami began to bang against the walls from the inside and yell something but his voice was totally muffled: Netto gasped and dared to open his eyes: he quickly made a smug smile while Yami's face displayed pure hatred on it.

"Phase 1 complete. Execute Phase 2."

The cylinder began to hover a few centimeters above the ground: it suddenly glowed with a bright white halo before it became raw data and jumped towards the "sky" of the digital environment.

"Phase 2 complete. Execute Phase 3."

There was another sound and eventually all became silent: Netto gasped and closed his eyes as he finally released and stained his whole body with his white liquid: before he could recover, though, he realized how he was becoming data as well.

_What…? Wait! If that guy has been removed, then…! I'm going to be restored as the main personality in control of my body…! This must be Vadous – san…! He came! He found us! He's surely gone ahead and saved niisan…! _

"Phase 3 complete. Execute Phase 4."

Netto closed his eyes and his whole body became data which warped out leaving the S&M gear atop the chair plus the ropes: those objects exploded in a violent way and brown down into data…

12:16 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I'm… dead…?"

Saito dared to open his eyes as he felt his lungs making an effort to regain their normal pace: he felt the several stains of white liquid over his body and his sight was blurry: he could make out some kind of dull brightness in front of him plus the muffled sound of someone panting heavily.

"T-thank goodness… I… made it… on time…" A familiar voice muttered with obvious relief.

"That voice…! Vadous – san…!" Saito gasped.

His vision became clear by now and he spotted Vadous leaning his left arm against the wall as he stood behind Delta: Delta was surrounded by the same dull brightness which included the infinity symbol painted purple set on his chest emblem: his whole body seemed to have petrified and his eyes were lifeless: his finger was on a gun's trigger which had been pulled about one quarter of the way.

"W-what happened…?" Saito asked.

"I used a program which can paralyze all of a Navi's functions at a mad speed by tricking the Ultimate Program into believing that it's about to undergo a mandatory revision… And… I uploaded emergency orders into the chip… "Yami" is gone from… Netto – kun's mind… He's prisoner within my… PET III…" Vadous explained between gasps as he held it out on his right hand.

"I knew it…! We believed in Vadous – san…! We knew… you'd come save us, sir…!" Saito began to form a smile of joy and his eyes watered from the joy.

"It's over, Saito – kun."

"What will you do with… them…?"

"I heard the earlier talk. And, given how the root of the problem seems to be the "Dark Power"… I can remove it and "reset" them to give them a chance to be normal persons and not mere puppets."

"Then, they all were puppets all along… All the Darkloids were…" Saito muttered.

"Of course. Like father, like son. Regal wanted to have absolute control over any Darkloids which may be generated, so this is why he bothered to come up with such a system." Vadous grumbled.

He quickly broke the handcuffs' chains and snapped the rope tying Saito to the ceiling: he broke the lock on the forearms, too.

"Omega! Retrieve this statue and begin purging: make him believe he ran away from Nebula and stumbled upon Hikarawa: they then decided to tag together and live a "rebel" life by dumping school and doing whatever they wanted to." Vadous called out through the radio built on his helmet's sides.

"Roger. Ms. Naval Intelligence will teach him not to question ONI's orders when it comes to finding "something" in New Mombasa." Omega sounded rather amused.

"Grjftx! Omega! Don't start picking on me 'cause I'm a _Halo_ fan!"

"Who knows?"

"I give up. Just do it."

"O. K., Prophet."

"Jeez."

A "Dimensional Converter" emerged and the frozen Delta was warped out of the room: Saito had managed to take out all the stuff he had on and was trying to cleanse his body in the bathroom.

"By the way, Vadous – san… What will you with "Yami", then?"

"Well… Truth to be told… I had a spare "cyborg body" ready… I could modify it to give him an original DNA string and alter the brain so that his consciousness is _permanently_ installed on it. I could always tell Commissioner Kifune the same tale I told him about your body. And if I know Netto – kun, he's coming here…"

Netto suddenly ran in: he'd washed off part of the both hair tints and taken off the contacts to reveal his brown eyes: he ran past Vadous and hugged Saito while he let out tears of joy.

"Niisan…! Thank goodness…! I knew it… A miracle would happen! We're saved…! It's over…!" He exclaimed.

"Netto – kun… Yeah. It's over." Saito sighed in relief.

"Good news, Boss: Blood reported that Specter Man was arrested by the Ranked Navi #2, Mist Man EXE, after trying to sell Copy Roid schematics to a Choina agent who'd illegally entered the country: his copy of the schematics was destroyed. Apparently, Swallow Man fooled everyone with the data cube because he carried the data on his body. The guy has a ransom on his head, so… I guess he'll be flying at Mach 17 until he reaches the magnetic north pole." Omega joked.

"Mach 17… There's _nothing_ which can fly at such brutal speeds!" Vadous groaned and slapped his helmet's forehead.

"Ask the Covenant." Omega shrugged.

"That ain't Mach 17! That's "Slip-space" and it's another story altogether: and using it _inside_ of a planet's atmosphere can have bad effects as proven by Regret when he ran outta New Mombasa leaving the city in shambles!" Vadous argued.

"Heh, heh. Halopedia – sama strikes back with an Energy Sword and an M4 rifle…" Omega teased.

"Grah! We'll talk this later."

"At midnight?" Omega joked next.

"No! In two hours' time, more or less!"

"Ops. I smell burnt curry."

"You're not designed to smell but I wouldn't be surprised if Dragon burnt it over again while reading Confucius." Vadous grumbled.

The twins made uneasy giggles while Vadous sighed in defeat…

13:31 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Mama! We're home!"

"Netto! Saito! Thank goodness…!"

"You're alright…!"

Netto and Saito entered their houses (Netto still had the clothes "Yami" wore) and were hugged by their parents: Vadous also came in after having changed into his business suit and blue contacts.

"Vadous – san… You did it again." Yuuichirou smiled at him.

"Ah… Thank you very much, sir. However, I was fortunate. The enemy went with the "arrogant" line of thinking and thought I wouldn't bother to search the same place twice: thus how I could make it there in the very nick of time… I've found out, something, though… Their actions were not decided of their "will"… They were being controlled by certain factors within the "Dark Power"… In short: they were puppets to that programming. Thus… I shall give them one last chance. Once the purging process finishes, then I am going to arrange for them to live far from here and be unconnected." Vadous explained.

"I see… So Dr. Regal acted like Wily: trying to control everything even while he physically was unable to." Yuuichirou muttered.

"Mama! Can I have curry rice for lunch?" Netto suddenly asked as if trying to brighten the mood.

"Of course: I know Yuuichirou – san must be yearning for it, too. Aren't you, Yuuichirou – san?"

"Yeah… I really am." Yuuichirou scratched the back of his head.

"Hmmm… Glutton Man showed up." Saito joked.

"Oi, oi…" Netto protested.

"At least he doesn't pick on like Omega…" Vadous muttered.

Everyone laughed in a jovial tone…

08:50 AM (Japan Time), Sunday January the 27th…

"… Fua~h… Good sleep. Yo! Delta. Shake your data skeleton and dance to the tune of the flute! It's morning!"

"Fua~h… Man. Last time I stay hooked into _Triforce of the Gods_ for the Game Boy Advance through YouTube…"

Hikarawa Yami stretched and sat up from a _futon_ in a small apartment: he glanced at a nearby table having his purple and black PET III set on it: Delta was yawning and looked sleepy. Yami was wearing black pajamas and his hair was totally messy.

"Heh, heh! I like this "rebel" lifestyle. Not like I can laugh at my parents dying in a road accident, but… I'm making wise use of their inheritance, anyway. And who needs to go to school when you can learn so many things on your own? Heh, heh." Yami chuckled.

"Sure… We were lucky stumbling upon each other in that gaming forum in which we shared pretty similar theories…" Delta yawned.

"Oi, oi. Shake that off or I'll shake you." Yami grinned.

"Jeez. Yami – kun… You like to prank on people, don't you?" Delta asked as he rolled his eyes.

"I sure do. Mr. Flying Tomato will come eat your unfinished meal tonight."

"Jeez. We Net Navis don't have "meals" at all!"

"It's a way of speaking."

"Yeah. And you patented it, didn't you?"

"Heh, heh! Who knows?"

"You do, Yami – kun. Let's get moving: we've got a lot of time to use."

"Sure. We always have fun together, Delta!" Yami grinned.

"That's what "partners" are for, aren't they?" Delta smiled.

Both blinked each other an eye and chuckled…


	24. Chapter 24: Savoring the peace

**Chapter 24: Savoring the peace**

17:48 PM (Japan Time), Monday April the 29th…

"… Phew. Homework's over…"

"Let's see… Hmmm… Not bad. You're improving, Netto – kun."

"Thanks, niisan… It's almost unbelievable, right? Another three months have swept by and nothing weird has happened: Enzan is even getting bored again."

"Heh, heh. You know him: he's as hyperactive as you."

Netto and Saito were going over their homework while inside of their bedroom: the window was open and some air flew in: Netto was leaning backwards on his chair while Saito was having a look at his homework to check on it.

"… I'd never believed I wouldn't care anymore for those wounds… But they've already cicatrized and will heal over time: eventually, only a vague shape will be the only remaining thing…" Netto muttered.

"Don't worry about that: we can always pretend we keep on being like we always were, Netto – kun." Saito shrugged.

"Yeah. True. Anyway… Meiru really did try to pick on Tooru – kun and he seems to tag along just because he doesn't want to get her in a bad mood… I'd never believed she could get into one to begin with. She always looked like your typical _cliché_ childhood friend. Not like I'm complaining, either… I just find it weird." Netto muttered.

"Yeah. I guess that Mama almost never has gotten into one such mood at all… Luckily enough… Anyway… We've got an exam on Thursday this week so we should start preparing for it by tomorrow, Netto – kun. 6th grade isn't going to make things easier." Saito warned.

"I knew that, niisan…" Netto rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you knew that Mr. Shoes would knock at the rear door to block your "perfect" escape route?"

"Sigma told ya that… I dunno where he got the joke from. Blood seems to find them pointless… He reminds me of you, even."

"Heh, heh. Blood is a nice guy: he can have humor but he quickly turns serious when the situation calls for it like Omega – san." Saito giggled and sounded amused.

"Really… He loves picking on topics from some games Vadous – san plays from time to time: I'm surprised he finds the time to switch off taking into account how busy he seemed to be in previous months."

"By the way… A bit late to say it, but… It was a good idea making a small celebration to mark one year from my return back in March. So many things have happened… We were in the midst of the Zero Virus Incident by this time last year, remember?"

"Of course… By the way… Is Zero still undergoing training and testing at the Science Labs? He's gotta have a lot of patience…"

"Papa confirmed it to me last week. But Zero doesn't seem to care: he wants to help out and offers himself as "carrier guy" to run errands inside of the Science Labs or the adjacent Waterworks." Saito explained with a smile.

"Uh… I see…"

"You see a paper plane orbiting around you?" Saito teased.

"Very funny." Netto looked skeptical.

"Now you sound like Blood."

"No way!" Netto groaned.

"Tee, heh, heh. Did ya say somethin', Mr. Driver?"

"I give up…" Netto rested his head on top of the desk.

"Don't be so defeatist, Netto – kun!"

"Anyone would at your ripped off humor." Netto muttered.

Saito giggled while Netto rolled his eyes…

19:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Man. How boring."

"I know."

"What do you know, anyway?"

"Hmmm… I was able to gain some profits."

"Hmpf. Not surprising."

DS Blues was sitting on the ground next to Delta's empty throne while the other four Darkloids were standing in different spots: Blizzard Man was speaking with DS Blues, Cloud Man looked skeptical of his claims and Shade Man was rubbing his "beard" while Cosmo Man looked serious and unimpressed.

"Even though we've been able to spread fear and terror thanks to our hitting of foreign countries' Networks like Ajina and that we're started to be feared across the Reverse Internet, nobody seems to give much credit for us ever since Specter Man – sama got arrested… And I can't shake the feeling that they're letting us loose to make us confident and then step into some gigantic trap." DS Blues grumbled.

"We've been over and over that ever since January…" Blizzard Man muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"Wanna brawl?" DS Blues growled.

"N-no! It'd be stupid!"

"Hmpf. So you _do_ catch on what's going on." Cloud Man folded his arms and looked unimpressed.

"Shaddup! Go call floods in Choina!" Blizzard Man snapped.

"Go make the Everest suffer an avalanche." Cloud Man grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. And then I will suck the blood out any mortals trapped within the cold and icy snow…" Shade Man chuckled.

"By all the…" Cosmo Man looked exasperated.

"You guys know what? Solve this quarrel yourselves. I'm off for a walk and I'll be back in 30 minutes. Do as you like but remember to lock down the lab if all of you go out." DS Blues fumed as he sprung to his feet and shook some dust off him.

"Say, Blues!" Blizzard Man called out.

"DS!"

"Sorry! DS Blues: whaddya think happened to Delta – sama?"

"I don't know and I've told you over and over again: that man appeared, electrocuted me, and the last thing I saw was Delta – sama picking Rock Man's Operator and escaping. I hacked around and found out that he'd tried to turn him into his "puppet" during six days, but failed and his whereabouts are unknown: it'd seem he's fled the country and hasn't dared to come back here… Maybe he thought he'd bring all of the elites along and we'd be slaughtered, so… We gotta come up with _clever_ strategies or else… We will be laughable." DS Blues growled.

"You heard him, Blizzard. Stop pestering him." Cloud Man told him with a hint of annoyance.

"Che! Cloud! Cloud a cloud!"

"Hmpf." Cloud Man made a smug smile.

"You two… Behave yourselves: you're acting like gnats!" Cosmo Man growled.

"Heh, heh, heh. The envoys of the Fierce God are at work amongst us as they have been for months." Shade Man chuckled.

"You ripped that off a game somewhere and it doesn't have a point to begin with." Cosmo Man was unimpressed.

"Heh, heh, heh… Prey! Blood! Thirst! Those define my existence! Heh, heh, heh…" Shade Man chuckled.

"Be serious, Shade Man!" Cosmo Man growled.

"Yeah. See you guys later." DS Blues scoffed.

19:45 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Huff. I needed a change of airs!"

DS Blues ran across a bridge crossing over a patch of the local area: there was very little traffic and he was barely looking ahead since he seemed to be distracted with something.

_Delta – sama, sir! What happened to you, sir? Please send us some message at the very least, sir! We want to know what plans you have in mind, sir! We can't reach a full consensus at all… We're going to kill each other at this rate! _

He slowed down and breathed deeply before continuing: he kept on looking on the ground and seemed to be worried.

_Cloud Man and Blizzard Man are about to jump into each other and Shade Man would rather go suck HP off all Navis on Earth! Cosmo Man is the more serious and straight-headed: we always can agree on something regarding a strategy. But with only the two of us, we're not going to get anywhere anytime soon! Damn! What should we do? We need something: a message, a sign!_

"O-oi! Careful!" Someone yelled.

"Huh? What?"

CRASH! BLOF!

"Uack!"

"Oof!"

DS Blues crashed with someone and both tried to get a hold of what had happened.

"M-my bad. I wasn't looking." DS Blues improvised.

"No… I wasn't looking, either… Sorry…"

DS Blues gasped since the Navi he'd crashed with was Delta: he quickly stood up and saluted while Delta slowly shook some dust off him.

"Eh… Is this a prank?" Delta asked.

"Huh? Delta – sama, do you not remember me, sir?"

"…"Sama"…? How did you know my name? I don't remember having met you before, really." Delta frowned.

"What? Sir… This area is secure. There's no need to feign, sir. Do you have a plan on mind, sir?" DS Blues whispered.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're mistaking me."

"No! I cannot be mistaken." DS Blues insisted.

"I'm telling the truth: I've only been around since January but I don't remember having met you before. I don't know many people to begin with, either." Delta looked exasperated.

"The "Renegades"… Doesn't that ring a bell?"

"Sorry, but no."

"Nebula?"

"Oh. I ran away from Nebula, true, but that was because Dr. Regal wanted to make a ruthless killer out of me. I didn't wanna be turned into a killer: I'm not even 13!" Delta muttered.

"… Is that so…" DS Blues sounded suspicious.

"What?"

"… Sorry. It'd seem I mistook you for a lookalike, young one. Eh… I'll be going. Sorry for that. My bad."

"Uh… If you say it…" Delta looked confused.

DS Blues ran off while Delta shrugged and began to walk down the road as well while seemingly thinking.

_Let's go try to fetch the info Yami – kun wishes: he overheard some curious names back when the Friday tour of the Science Labs and won't be satisfied until he has an answer to them…_

20:10 PM (Japan Time)…

"… I'm back."

"Did you go through Route 66, then?"

"Very funny."

"Heh, heh. That skeptical face amuses me, ya know, Delta."

"Ahem, ahem! I got the info you wanted, Yami – kun."

"Good. Let's bring out the magnifying glass and spot the hidden words on the reverse."

"Jeez."

Yami was joking at Delta as he came back inside of the PET III: he didn't look amused at all.

"Please have a look and stop boycotting me!" He grumbled.

He brought up the info and then left the screen: Yami shrugged and began to read it.

"Hmmm… "Dimensional Area"… Special field generated by devices known as "Dimensional Converters" inside of which data, be it Viruses or Net Navis, can materialize. The scale depends on the output of each Converter and the number deployed: however, exiting or entering it even for a Navi it's practically impossible… Cool." Yami read.

He pressed the "right" arrow in the control pad and switched to another page of information.

"… "Synchro Chips"… Special Chips which are designed to trigger a process known as "Cross Fusion"… The Navi can enter the real world through "borrowing" the Operator's body… A high level of "Synchronism" is needed between Navi and Operator to work… It must be done inside of a "Dimensional Area"… Damage to the chest emblem, bickering between Navi and Operator or over exercising can lead to its breakup… Cool, man. I'd now love to have one of those but I guess only Net Saviors and Officials can get their hands on it…" Yami whistled in surprise.

"By the way, Yami – kun… I met a strange red-colored Navi who seemed to know of me from before… He even called me "sama" and sounded like he'd been expecting for me to show up ever since January…" Delta brought up.

"Hmmm… Any other hints?"

"Well… He knew about Nebula but he brought up a name: the "Renegades"… I looked it up and they're known to be a group of five "Darkloids" who have been causing some random hits and strikes ever since January… And the timeline reeks, in my opinion."

"Hmmm… Interesting, Watson."

"Oi, oi…"

"Heh, heh. I know how to draw that guy out."

"Really?"

"Offer him bloody red roses."

"What the… Who do you think I am?" Delta looked rather annoyed as evidenced by a twitch over his right eye.

"The lost village in the mountains' Greek guy…" Yami blinked him the right eye.

"Oh come on! Just because I have a Greek name that doesn't mean I'm from Greece! Jeez! I'm about to make a catastrophe!"

"Then patent Catastrophe Man." Yami suggested.

"I give up…" Delta slapped his forehead.

"Heh, heh, heh. There's no beatin' the great me." Yami laughed.

"That dialect sounds rude!" Delta protested.

"Who knows?" Yami teased.

"Everyone does." Delta fumed as he folded his arms.

"You mean the two of us."

"You sound like a lawyer." Delta shot back.

"No way…" Yami laughed at it.

"Eye for an eye!"

"Oi, oi… That sounds bad."

"Gotcha."

"We'll see 'bout that."

"Anyway… What do you suggest?"

"I've decided: I'll get one of those "Synchro Chips"! I'm sure there must be a way to sneak into the Science Labs and get one of 'em…" Yami rubbed his hands in excitement.

"But if they catch us we'll be in a deep mess." Delta warned.

"Don't worry! Nobody will realize. I'm starting to come up with a subtle plan." Yami told him.

"I find that somewhat hard to believe. You've never been the "subtle" type of boy." Delta looked skeptical.

"Oho. Here comes Watson XXIII." Yami teased.

"By all the… It should be V or VI at the very maximum! Watson was still alive in the 1910s, you know!" Delta grumbled.

"Here comes Holmes Wikia – sama."

"Stop with those pointless titles, will you?" Delta requested.

"Maybe if you beg to me…"

"Jeez!"

"Anyway… I'll be working in the details during these days. Time to hit the sack, Watson, before Moriarty comes to have his stick back."

"Fine. Good night." Delta grumbled.

Yami chuckled under his breath while Delta fumed…

20:20 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hmmm… This could be troublesome. I better try to tell that red Navi I see around here from time to time."

"Grrr…"

Forte and "Gospel" were inside of a small Cyber World somewhere which was mostly unlit and unfurnished: Forte was lying face-up on a corner of the ground and had placed both hands behind his head: he looked like he was thinking while "Gospel" was sniffing the ground.

"Or, better… I could try to locate Rock Man and tell him directly. They've been making lots of efforts to prevent that guy from remembering what he did… Luckily, given all the barriers and security I set on my body and Serenade's kickass of me, most of the "Dark Power" I absorbed from Nebula Grey leaked out and doesn't have any effects on me. Yeah. Decided… I'll go speak with Rock Man if I see those guys meeting again: that'd be worrisome, really." Forte muttered aloud.

"Grrr… Gruh… Grawl…" "Gospel" muttered.

"Did you find your late night meal? Go have it." Forte told it without bothering to change his pose.

"Grawl, grrr!"

Gospel ran out and a yelp of panic rang out followed by what sounded like a horde running past the place.

"Oho. The "Debt Navi", the guy who has that crowd of creditors trying to dismember him but someone is always stepping into the way… That guy should learn to hand back the money instead of trying to sneak into my little refuge." Forte formed an amused grin.

"Get 'im! Get 'im!"

"Ya~h! I'm cursed! I'm cursed! I'm curse~d!" The Navi yelled.

"Heh, heh. Deal. I'll contact Rock Man soon enough. Let's sleep."

Forte closed his eyes and made a giggle-like sound…


	25. Chapter 25: The desire

**Chapter 25: The desire**

21:11 PM (Japan Time), Thursday May the 2nd…

"… Man. What a boring patrol! No – one in their right minds would dare to try and steal something from this place…"

A security guard was patrolling a concrete corridor somewhere and illuminating things with a flashlight: some armored doors were set at each side of the corridor and the glow of inactive emergency lighting could be seen plus the red glow of the CCTV cameras' LEDs: the guard looked bored and uninterested.

"You gotta be suicidal to try to sneak into this place, anyway… But since the job is well-paid… Whatever." The guard muttered.

He didn't spot a hardly visible shape silently moving towards the right while gluing the body against the right wall: the guard merely kept on and reached a door at the end of the corridor with the banner "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" on it: he shrugged and turned around without bothering to check the walls.

_Heh, heh, heh… Too bad, Security Guard – sama~! I'm way too clever for ya to imagine… And given how _aibou_ is now sabotaging the CCTV cameras' feed… Then I've got nothin' to worry about. Heh, heh, heh… Let's get our little "toy" already…_

The figure jumped and managed to grab into a ledge: they used the right arm to pull a vent cover out and sneaked inside: they crawled through a short distance and pushed another cover out to drop inside of a room having a round metallic table with "Synchro Chips" set atop it: a myriad of security lasers were surrounding the table as well as a CCTV camera: the silhouette calmly dropped down into the ground and waited.

_Heh, heh, heh. Not bad, guys. But _aibou_ and I are too well-organized for you to spot or discover with such crappy security…_

The CCTV camera's LED switched off as well as the security lasers: the intruder picked one "Synchro Chip" and placed another on its place before climbing back into the duct.

_Getting out is the hardest part 'cause that's when ya get confident… But I don't need to worry: the night security staff is too lazy to properly check the security footage…_

The intruder glanced behind them as the lasers and the camera came back online but they were already crawling back after attaching a thin string with a hook to the vent cover so as to close it from behind: they came out into the corridor and closed the entrance cover as well: the intruder quickly headed towards the left and glued their body to the wall as they climbed up some concrete stairs.

_I don't hear anyone… And shoes over concrete make a specific sound which can be picked up from far away. Heh, heh, heh. It was a good idea to pick that "Solid Snake" guy as a model! Who says you gotta be 15+ to see that game, anyway? Just because it's very explicit… If you wanna break the rules then ya get double the excitement. Heh, heh, heh._

The intruder made it to the ground floor and quickly snuck out through a ventilation duct while closing the covers from behind: they came out outside of the building and quickly affixed the cover before running off into the nearby side alleys: they checked around and then sighed in relief.

"Heh, heh, heh. We did it, Delta. I told ya my plan was subtle." The "intruder" chuckled aloud.

"Sure was… Taking into account the laziness of the security staff, then it's no wonder we made it through sans a hitch. Good work, Yami – kun. I'll praise you." Delta replied through the PET III.

"And I'm intrigued about those talks regarding a "Link PET" which is supposedly comin' out next month… I'll get my hands on it when it hits the stores: but let's move into our next scheme." Yami chuckled.

"We're geniuses, really. Thanks to that "Dimensional Converter" I found out… We can travel from basement to basement without being detected. And that _ninja_ disguise sure suits you."

"I'm a sneaky guy… Solid Snake must be itching to compete with me one of these days." Yami chuckled.

21:33 PM (Japan Time)…

"… O. K. This is supposedly the place. Try to come in."

"Fine."

Delta stepped into the Gospel HQ area and found it to be barely lit: he gulped and stepped forward while the air temperature seemed to be set low in purpose to deter people from coming in.

"Brr… Is this a fridge or what?" He muttered aloud.

He slowly made it across the corridor until he reached the wall at the end: he began to check on it from all angles and rub it as if trying to figure out how to open it up.

"Try "Open, Sesame", then." Yami suggested.

"Jeez. Open, Sesame." Delta grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh. Close, Sesame." An amused voice rang out.

"O-oi! Wait a min! I'm just here to speak with you guys!" Delta began to look around in a confused manner.

"Oho… A parliamentary?" The voice sounded amused.

"Uh… Well… Guess so… I'm looking for a guy with red blood body and silver hair… Do you know him?" Delta asked.

"What do you want out of Leech Man?" The voice asked.

"Leech Man…? That's his name…? It sounds weird…" Delta sounded surprised.

"It's an irony I made up." The voice replied.

"I-I'm… my name is Delta, and…"

"Uo~h!" The voice gasped.

Shade Man suddenly dropped down from above and kneeled in a courteous manner, to Delta's disbelief: he stepped back and looked totally nervous.

"I shall not offer any excuses, Delta – sama, sir! I was fooling around because I volunteered for the night shift, sir… We knew it, sir, that you would eventually come back, sir! We have done our best to stay united ever since January, sir!" Shade Man quickly announced.

"Eh… Then… I was the leader of you guys?" Delta guessed.

"Huh? Delta –sama! Do you not remember? You restored all of us after we'd been deleted!" Shade Man looked up, surprised.

"Eh… Really? You used to work for Nebula, then?"

"Of course! All of us did, sir! You were originally the only survivor, sir, and you staged the "Renegades" to work on our resurrection while trying to pass as mere show-offs who weren't worrisome at all, sir!" Shade Man explained to him.

"Uh… Then I guess something happened to me in January, 'cause… I don't remember _ANY_ of that. And I'm not missing memory files, because I've checked my logs and they're totally neat. The only thing I remember is being created by Dr. Regal and him having plans to make a cold-blooded murderer out of me… I didn't want to, so I ran away and, while living temporally in a gaming forum server, I met someone who's ended up being my new Operator…" Delta muttered aloud.

"That is very strange, sir! According to DS Blues… The person you wanted to see… You were last spotted on Sunday January the 20th, sir! There were abundant search reports until Saturday January the 26th, when all activity ceased and you name didn't show up _ANYWHERE_ at all!" Shade Man stood up and sounded confused.

"Guess someone picked and skillfully altered or deleted your memories, Delta, without leaving a trace." Yami commented.

"Ah… That's my Operator: Hikarawa Yami – kun. He's a nice boy, and we've gotten along perfectly. He can have weird humor, though." Delta explained.

"Any acquaintance of Delta – sama is welcome. May I open the lab's doorway, sir?"

"Uh… Thanks."

"Ahem, ahem… It's not Gamma as in Guillotine and it's not Epsilon as in Executioner… It's Delta, as in Death!" Shade Man chanted.

The doorway formed and both stepped inside: Cloud Man and Blizzard Man were playing chess with life-size holograms and both Cosmo Man and DS Blues were going over a map screen with several arrows and dots drawn into it.

"You folk! Stay firm! Delta – sama has returned!" Shade Man called out to them.

"Uo~h! Delta – sama~!" Everyone exclaimed in total surprised.

"Eh… Hi." Delta improvised.

"I knew it: he was the real Delta – sama!" DS Blues gasped.

"Fortune is smiling on us!" Cosmo Man proclaimed.

"Now we can hit the Cyber World hard!" Blizzard Man exclaimed.

"Yeah! They shall regret making fools out of us!" Cloud Man exclaimed.

"Uh… I see that… eh… the morale is high." Delta looked nervous.

"Delta – sama does not remember what he did when he was in charge, unfortunately enough… He has found himself an Operator, even, but they both work perfectly." Shade Man explained.

"Yo! I'm Hikarawa Yami. But the Boss here is Delta. I'm just the _aibou_ who sits back in the sofa and looks at it unfolding." Yami grinned.

"Perfect." Cosmo Man looked satisfied.

"Yeah… Eh… I guess you must've missed me… Sorry. But like… eh… sorry, what was your name?" Delta asked Shade Man.

"Ah! Do excuse me. Shade Man, sir."

"Cloud Man, sir!"

"Blizzard Man, sir!"

"Cosmo Man, sir!"

"DS Blues, sir!"

"Huh… And what does the "DS" title mean?"

"Dark Soul, sir. I am based upon an existing Navi, sir. And you also are based upon an existing Navi, sir…. The other four are original Darkloids, but we two are Darkloids formed from existing Navis, sir."

"I'm based upon an existing Navi? I'd never thought of it…" Delta looked rather surprised.

"Say… Would you guys give us a hand? We're planning to bring back Nebula." Yami asked.

"If that is decided by Delta – sama, we shall follow him to Hell itself if needed to!" They all chanted.

"Uh… You guys sure have high morale… Anyway… Are you good at sneaking into high-security places and getting info outta it?" Delta asked of them.

"Hmmm… We used to employ a Darkloid named Swallow Man: he even broke into the Mother Computer since the defenses had not been totally rebuilt after Shadow Man's devastating attack back in July… If only we could locate him, then… The problem will be making him show up: there's a price for his capture." DS Blues muttered.

"But I could use my "Cosmo Gate" to sneak inside and get the information, nevertheless." Cosmo Man offered.

"We could strike a distraction by attacking the firewalls and infecting some of the Navis with a temporary bug which makes them turn into their allies: that's what has helped us make our raids highly successful. By the time they snap out of it, there are so few of them left that it's easy to pick them up." Shade Man offered.

"Good! I have a plan. Will you listen to it?" Delta grinned.

"Command us, sir!" They all exclaimed.

16:55 PM (Japan Time), Friday May the 3rd…

"… Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Commissioner Kifune. Did you call for us?"

"I did. I have grave news."

"What news, sir?"

Netto and Saito were standing in front of Commissioner Kifune's desk: he was clasping his hands together and leaning the elbows on the desk.

"Do you remember Dr. Regal?" Kifune asked.

"Of course, sir. He's serving sentence in the Net Prison along with Laser Man." Netto replied.

"He "was": he escaped this same morning."

"WHAT!" Both exclaimed.

"The Darkloids were behind it: they hit our database yesterday at late night and infected the Security Navis with a program which made them turn on their allies: unfortunately, there were no high-power Net Navis available and they were unchallenged as they entered "Criminal Records" and stole several files: Dr. Regal's and Laser Man's were amongst them after we finished the analysis. But that wasn't all."

"What happened next, sir?" Saito asked.

"Surprisingly enough, the Net Prison received a judicial order which mandated Dr. Regal's transfer to the Net Police HQ: new evidence had been found and he was to be questioned regarding a new source of funding he'd been using. The order was swiftly carried out and he was made to board a transport van. However, by the time it reached the HQ, the insides were empty with no sign of forced exit." Kifune added.

"A "Dimensional Converter"…!" They realized.

"Correct. Now both of their whereabouts are unknown."

"Crap. We underestimated the Darkloids…!" Netto muttered.

"Can't be helped… Vadous – san was convinced they'd kill each other eventually out of wanting to be the leader." Saito sighed.

"… You know the motto: weed never dies … Anyway… Do contact Mr. Vadous with this info in case he hasn't gotten a hold of it yet. Things promise to turn dangerous again." Kifune instructed.

"They _are_ already dangerous." Someone announced.

Enzan walked in and looked rather annoyed.

"Enzan…" Netto lifted his eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Ijuuin – kun?"

"Forte contacted me." Enzan sighed.

"Forte did?" Saito asked.

"He didn't find you home, so…" Enzan admitted.

"Oh. We forgot to tell him our email address." Netto slapped his forehead in frustration.

"Anyway… On Monday night… He spotted something worrisome: Delta, running some errand or another, collided with DS Blues. Obviously, he didn't remember anything and didn't understand his behavior. DS Blues dropped it because he settled it that it had to be a lookalike. But yesterday night he trailed him and saw him go into Gospel HQ." Enzan explained with a sigh of defeat.

"Kotobuki Square…! And there he met the club. And since Vadous – san rewrote his memories to believe he ran away from Nebula, he had to think that maybe Dr. Regal would know what _really_ happened thus why they bothered to break him outta the Net Prison… And they must wanna resurrect Nebula akin to how Wily wanted to resurrect the WWW. Fan-tas-tic. What a lovely way to begin the month." Saito deduced before rolling his eyes.

"That bothersome imitator has destroyed the hard job we'd been doing since January…!" Blues growled.

"Blues. Cool it down. We are in front of an important person." Enzan commanded with a sigh.

"Ah. I apologize, sir." He quickly saluted.

"I don't mind. Yet… Hikarawa was under "Committee" surveillance, was he not? How could he sneak out without them noticing?"

"Obvious, sir. They found out how to use a "Dimensional Converter" and must've vacated the apartment by now to move to wherever Nebula will use a base." Netto shrugged.

"Ah. Obviously." Kifune merely muttered.

"Well… At least the whole thing kept intact up until now, so… But Vadous – san did admit there was a "potential risk"… Nothing can work at a 100% because there'll always be "variables" which you cannot take into account when working on it. It's a like a program which glitches because someone makes something which wasn't totally programmed into its code... In short: something will cause it to act weirdly and out of parameters given specific conditions." Saito commented.

"That's a good analogy." Enzan shrugged.

"Ijuuin – kun. I would like of you to investigate any rumors which might lead us to them. Check out Kotobuki Square, although I suspect that they've already vacated it and the laboratory." Kifune ordered.

"Roger, sir. Count on me, sir. See yo0u later, you two.

"Good luck, Blues." Saito encouraged.

"… Thanks. We'll need it." Blues sighed.

"You two can head back as well."

"Roger, sir."

"And don't lower the guard, either."

"We understand, sir."

"Things are spiraling out of control…" Kifune muttered.

17:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho. So you're the ones who came up with my evasion… Well. I won't protest at it. What do you want out of me?"

Dr. Regal, having grown a dense black beard ever since January, was standing inside of a wide metallic room where the Darkloids and Yami were gathered at it.

"Simple, Dr. Regal. We all desire to resurrect Nebula." Yami calmly exposed with a smile.

"Resurrect Nebula…!" Dr. Regal looked amused.

"We are serious, Dr. Regal." Delta added.

"Of course you are… You wouldn't have bothered to come up with such a complicated strategy if you weren't. Fine… This way I shall prove those Net Police fools how brilliant I really am." Dr. Regal smiled.

"Could we name it "Neo" Nebula, maybe?" DS Blues suggested.

"Neo Nebula… A new beginning… From zero… It sounds rather fitting, I'd daresay. Fine. Neo Nebula will be our name. And our goal shall be to spread terror and fear across this worthless world." Dr. Regal rubbed his chin and smiled.

"Command me, sir." Laser Man requested from inside of black PET III with his emblem set on it.

"Heh, heh, heh… I can see glorious times ahead of us. We will slowly build up the organization while you can keep on hitting the Cyber World using your current strategy. It would be wise to use psychological warfare to make the enemy feel anxious for our grand strike…" Dr. Regal exposed to the audience.

"Glory to Neo Nebula!" The presents exclaimed.

"That's it! That motto, that pride… It's exactly what we need! Glory to Neo Nebula!" Dr. Regal rallied with an eager grin.

The presents laughed aloud in an evil tone of voice…


	26. Chapter 26: Neo Nebula

**Chapter 26: Neo Nebula **

09:13 AM (Japan Time), Friday June the 17th…

"… Good morning, students."

"Good morning, Mariko – _sensei_!"

The students of Class 6-A stood up to greet their teacher: she looked somewhat nervous.

"Well… Let's go outside for the class group photo, shall we?"

"Roger!"

The students marched out into the yard and aligned themselves for the photo: the taller students crouched in front of the front row while the other aligned on the back row: they all smiled.

"Look at the camera!" A teacher instructed.

"Cheese~!"

The photo was taken and the teacher checked it out.

"Let's do it again just in case."

"Cheese~!"

The teacher took a second photo and then made the thumbs up sign to the class: they followed Mariko back inside and found several envelopes as well as scrolls set atop her desk.

"Here are your reports and you diplomas. However… Before that, I must admit that today is a sad day… All of you will be leaving this school and moving on… I'm proud of having had you as my students." Mariko told them.

"Thank you for everything, _sensei_!"

Mariko smiled and began to hand out the envelopes plus the rolled diplomas: the students hurriedly opened them and checked them out on-site.

"Whoa~! I scored 7 in _Math_, no less! And all my notes are 6 or 7! I've improved drastically!" Netto exclaimed.

"Heh, heh. 8 in Math, mostly 7s and one 6. Not bad for my first year taking normal classes, either." Saito giggled.

"Heh! I got 7 in everything. I'm not Gabcom's heiress in vain! Tee, heh, heh, heh!" Yaito giggled.

"Hum… 6 in Math… I'm a bit weak at that… But the other grades are pretty well, so… Not bad." Toru muttered.

"Tee, heh, heh! 8 in _Music_. I'm sure everyone thought it was a nightmare, didn't you?" Meiru giggled.

"Grah… 5 in everything… Man. I was hoping to impress Meiru." Dekao groaned.

"Cha will impress me once you invent the Japanese – Gorilla Idiom Dictionary." Meiru grinned at him.

"No way!" Dekao groaned.

"Eat weed." Yaito giggled.

"No way!"

"Eat ice." Toru grinned.

"No way!"

"Eat burnt curry." Netto laughed.

"No way!"

"Eat yoghurt with salt." Saito giggled.

"No way!"

"Now, now! Ooyama – kun! That's not the way to address a girl." Mariko told him with a smile.

Dekao turned red and lowered his head while everyone else in the classroom laughed at the scene…

10:03 AM (Japan Time)…

"… My! Your grades are excellent, dears!"

"Thanks, Mama!"

Haruka had been looking at the twins' grades and looked pleased enough: both looked prideful of their results.

"Let me see." Yuuichirou requested.

He picked them and looked at them as well.

"I'm proud of you two. You've worked very hard!" Yuuichirou announced with a smile.

"Thanks, Papa!"

"We'll celebrate it with a cake!" Haruka announced.

"Yippe~!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Tee, heh, heh. My announcements always make you run excited. Now relax and try not to take a sneak peek." Haruka giggled.

"You two! I've got something as a present for ending 6th grade and elementary school." Yuuichirou suddenly announced as he brought up a silver attaché case.

"Could it be…?" Netto gasped.

"The famous…?" Saito gasped.

"Oho. Yuuichirou – san brought a surprise, too." Haruka looked amused and lifted her eyebrows.

Yuuichirou set the case on the desk and unlocked it: the twins loomed over and looked fascinated.

"T-these are…!" Netto exclaimed.

"I knew it…!" Saito exclaimed.

"True! The _Link PET_!"

This new PET design had a general rectangular shape and came in two sets of colors: blue/white & green/white.

The upper portion was a white hill-like shape and smooth: the left side had two small round buttons set very close to each other and a smooth surface: the right side had the Slot – In slot on it plus a small red pyramid-like mark over it: the slot also had a pyramid-like shape to it and was colored white: the underside had two small holes with something set on them.

The emblem occupied the upper half of the device and a white stripe crossed through it from the top until it reached the LCD screen's border: this LCD screen was rectangular and had a black inner border plus a white outer border.

The rest of the surface was colored blue and set in a mosaic-like pattern over it: the PET looked practical.

"It also comes with this!" Yuuichirou announced.

He took out two arm-straps with a white plastic structure build on them: the twins tried them out and placed them slightly beneath the right shoulder.

"Wow. We look fashionable, even!" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Heh, heh. Cool…" Saito grinned.

"Now… I'll show you some of its new functions. Press the thumb finger against the right underneath circle."

Both did so and a thick touch pen slid out: they then pressed the main button in the PET to bring up its holographic screens: they began to touch the screen and wrote their names on them using _katakana_: both whistled in surprise.

"Whoa. The drag system of the PET III carries over but this touch pen gives you further precision while handling the menus." Netto commented.

"Yeah! This makes it easy to use and very instinctive. We're gonna have fun with a Doddle War." Saito giggled.

"Yours are special: I brought them from the Science Labs because they won't be in the stores until tomorrow!" Yuuichirou blinked them an eye and sounded amused.

"Whoa."

"O. K. Since there's still a lot of time… Let's go have a walk. We could go check the Densan City Shopping Mall… But hide the PETs!" Yuuichirou blinked them an eye again.

"Whoa. Going out with Papa… I missed it!" Netto exclaimed.

"We sure did." Saito admitted.

"Try to be back around 1:00 PM if you may." Haruka instructed.

"Good. Wait a min. I'm going to leave the report and diploma on the room before going out." Netto requested.

"I'll do that, too."

"Fine."

Both ran upstairs and entered their room: they closed the door and quickly share a passionate kiss before breaking apart.

"Whoa. _I_ was the one who wanted to do it!" Netto whispered.

"Sorry. I wanted to beat you to it." Saito giggled.

"We synchronized, then. Heh, heh!" Netto chuckled.

"That was to celebrate the end of the course. Don't you remember the intense night we had eight days ago for our 13th birthday?" Saito whispered.

"Yeah… We tried out all sorts of poses. But let's discuss this later: Papa is waiting for us." Netto grinned.

They both ran downstairs and put on their sneakers while Yuuichirou came out of the bathroom.

"_Ittekimasu_~!"

11:13 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Cross Spark!"

"Cosmo Gate!"

"Snow Rolling!"

"Crush Noise!"

"Dark Sonic Boom!"

The five Darkloids were blasting their way through a system somewhere and attacking an already damaged firewall: it looked about to collapse at any moment now.

"We're almost there. Go!" Cosmo Man rallied.

"Glory to Neo Nebula!"

They broke through the wall and found several tall columns with circuitry drawn into them: they seemed to be over ten meters tall each.

"The DNN TV Station's data servers… We might get a hold of juicy info to sell to freelancers!" DS Blues chuckled.

"Maybe you want to sell them to Aunt Regula's ghost?" A voice rang out with a hint of sarcasm.

"That voice…! I remember it from somewhere…!" DS Blues muttered as they looked around.

"No wonder you don't remember me: that was in your "past incarnation" or, should I say, before Delta rebuilt ya. And I know that you were planning on leeching the guy back then." The voice told him.

"Che." DS Blues grumbled.

"Hah! One pitiful Net Navi can't stand against five of us." Cloud Man boasted.

"Careful. There might be accomplices close by." Cosmo Man warned in a serious tone of voice.

"Crap." Blizzard Man muttered.

"… No. There's no one else… I can pick ultrasounds and I don't hear the slightest hint of any other Navi even if they were camouflaged: any camouflage systems gives off noise." Shade Man told them.

"Show your hide!" DS Blues challenged.

"Fine."

Forte suddenly dropped down from above while having his "Dark Aura" engaged: the group gasped and stepped back.

"Forte…!" DS Blues gasped.

"Yeah. I've been monitoring you guys for a while. And I'm itching for a round of beat-'em-all today… Yo! Gospel! Come and show them how bad your breath is." Forte sounded amused.

Gospel suddenly jumped down into the area and roared: the group began to panic and step back.

"Uo~h! Fighting against that guy is something. But having to fight against such a collection of bugs is something else!" Cloud Man uttered.

"That's why I told you guys that you were too confident!" Cosmo Man growled.

"Uh-oh… What do we do, DS Blues?" Blizzard Man asked.

"I'd rather… scram…" Shade Man suggested.

"Y-yeah… This is a trap! Let's head back, you guys! I'll remember this, Forte! I'll slice you up one day!" DS Blues threatened.

"Come anytime, Punk Man." Forte taunted.

"Damn you!"

"Run for it!" Blizzard Man shrieked.

"What do you think we're doing?" Cloud Man cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh. Chicken…" Forte chuckled.

11:27 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So, Nebula Grey's reconstruction is over 95% complete? Good news, then! We'll soon be able to resume Dark Chip production."

"Correct. And spread them across the Reverse Internet…"

Delta and Laser Man were speaking as they stood in an observation platform looking at a large round area where Nebula Grey was being rebuilt: it was only lacking the coloring, since its body was "grey" at this moment and some small details: it looked inactive as of yet.

"By the way… Did your Operator set this background?" Laser Man asked as he signaled the "sky".

"Huh… No doubt… And I did tell him not to mess with it…" Delta looked slightly annoyed.

The background was colored purple and it had a green-rimmed shield floating in the air: the shield depicted a brown and white fox having a green-handled scout knife on its muzzle aiming for the left: the letters "FOXHOUND" were set above it colored brown plus the 90º spun text "SPECIAL FORCES GROUP" on the right side of the image.

"He's been watching too many videos of the PSX _Metal Gear Solid_…" Delta muttered with a hint of annoyance.

"I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. It gives the feeling that we look up to their might." Laser Man suggested.

"Guess so…" Delta shrugged.

"… Did you make sure to erase all tracks behind us, Blizzard?"

"I told you I did, Cloud! I'm not a fool!"

"I checked it myself. They were clean."

"Good, Shade."

"We managed to dump that thing somehow…"

"The squad is back already?" Laser Man wondered.

As if replying to their wondering, the five of them came in and kneeled in front of the stairs leading up to the observation platform.

"Delta – sama, sir! We shall not offer any apologies, but…! We failed the mission, sir…!" They all exclaimed.

"What? What happened?" Delta asked them.

"Forte and that "Gospel" beast showed up there, sir! We were forced into retreat: we couldn't risk getting infected by a thousand bugs, sir!" DS Blues reported.

"Crap! Forte! I had forgotten about the guy despite the rumors and reports of his sightings…" Delta muttered.

"If Forte is openly stopping us, then count on him to intercept all Dark Chips we try to distribute in the Reverse Internet… Maybe we should try to sell them in foreign countries." Yami muttered.

"It sounds like a reasonable alternate plan…" Dr. Regal muttered.

"Okay… Eh… Look: it was THE Forte, so… Don't feel ashamed. Eh… Try to go back to your stuff and… eh… I'll think of something. Man. I still find it weird trying to be the "leader"… I think Mr. Laser Man here would rather fit the role…" Delta improvised before muttering.

"But I already am busy managing Nebula Grey's reconstruction… And they're used to you as their leader, Delta." Laser Man argued.

"Fine. Let's leave it there, then… Man. I had hoped that I could remember more about me but Dr. Regal doesn't even acknowledge having created me or DS Blues: he admits that we were a result of the "Dark Power" infiltrating our "originals" and then their body defenses forcing us out thus becoming separate "Darkloids"… It'd seem that someone _did_ really alter my memories. And, for some reason, my body has "Dark Power" antibodies so I can't be named a "Darkloid" given my lack of "Dark Power"… I am just a Net Navi which is fine for me: Yami – kun and I make a good tag-combo and I don't wanna break this deal up. I've come so far thanks to him." Delta muttered as he brought the right hand to his helmet's forehead.

"Yeah… And something tells me that my "memories" have also been altered and we'd met in different circumstances… Maybe you stumbled upon me after having discarded that guy, Rock Man EXE's Operator, Hikari Netto… You surely used him as a human shield to escape from that "mysterious man" DS Blues talked about and then ran away." Yami theorized.

"Vadous… I do remember him. As I have told you, he provoked both me and Father into "sticking the arm outta the window" so that the Net Police had plenty of reasons to bring us down. Yet something has been picking me ever since December…" Dr. Regal muttered.

"Yeah. Why Hikari Saito began to yell as if he was suffering a terrible headache right after Dr. Regal commanded the "Dark Power" inside of any infected Navi to awaken. That man named "Lartes" then did something which knocked you out cold, too, so you never got to figure what the heck happened there. Didn't you have any cameras?" Yami asked.

"Of course I had! I sent Laser Man there a few days after you freed me, Yami – kun, but all data was lost because the system had been thoroughly sabotaged over and over again in a deliberate manner. That data HAD to be very sensitive if they went to such ends to delete it." Dr. Regal grumbled with obvious annoyance.

"Well… Can't be helped, I'm afraid… We should focus on the "Dark Chip" Strategy and then we'll decide what we should do." Yami suggested with a sigh.

"Hmmm… True. We can't much else besides that: we don't want to get confident and try to rush it all: it wouldn't benefit us at all. But Nebula Grey should be ready by this evening or the dawn at the latest. We've been stalling for time through guerilla tactics, but… It's about time we turned serious." Dr. Regal made an evil grin.

"Yeah, Doc. We'll get so serious that they'll run and hide in the lockers 'cause a psycho _cyborg ninja_ is about to slaughter them up with a high-frequency blade." Yami chuckled.

The four of them chuckled in an evil manner…


	27. Chapter 27: Keystone

**Chapter 27: Keystone**

18:55 PM (Japan Time), Friday June the 17th…

"… Really… This curry is _magnificent_!"

"Heh, heh. Gluttony Man strikes back.

"Oi!"

"Hah! Take that!"

"That goes for cha, too."

"No way!"

"Did you start researching on gorilla anatomy, Dekao – kun?"

"And Gorilla Idiom?"

"Crap."

Netto, Saito, Tooru, Dekao, Yaito and Meiru were having dinner at Maha Ichiban's: Dekao was being the target of the jokes again and he rolled his eyes.

"Man."

"When will you try to make some exercise, anyway?" Meiru asked with a teasing grin.

"Dunno!"

"Guts, guts! What's "exercise", Dekao – sama?"

"I cannot he believe he does not know such a single concept… His "knowledge" database must almost empty if that is the case…" Glyde looked surprised.

"What were you expecting from a gorilla, anyway? They are totally unpredictable, aren't they?" Roll teased with a giggle.

"I don't know… Desu…" Ice Man muttered.

"You can expect a thousand catastrophes." Saito giggled.

They didn't spot Yami (having put on blue contacts), sitting in the second to farthest table (two north from the group's table) watching at them while trying not to draw attention: given how the twins and Meiru were giving him the back and that Dekao, Yaito and Tooru were engrossed in the talk, they didn't repair on his position.

_Heh, heh, heh. Good idea comin' out… Maybe I can pick any hints on their dialogue which hint towards what happened to me and Delta…_

But Yami didn't spot Agent Karasu sitting in the farthest table: he'd taken out the hat and sunglasses to reveal calm brown eyes: he was seemingly staring at Yami from behind him without displaying the slightest hint of interest.

_So! He dared to show up here: as Chief Lezareno had deduced. After he escaped out Nagoya surveillance, he's been waiting for us to mainly forget about him. But we never forget about potential trouble, Mr. Hikarawa. It was a rookie's mistake to come here unprepared._

He discreetly took out a cell phone and took a photo of Yami when he looked at his right to see Maha bringing him the dish.

"Here you have: the Maha Special."

"Ah… Thanks…" He feigned having a hoarse throat.

"Spending too much time in a cold room will affect your throat. Do try to drink water and not make it be below 25 Celsius, Customer – sama." Maha suggested.

"Uh-unh… Thank you…" He replied.

"It is nothing. Do enjoy."

Maha headed back into the kitchen while Karasu lowered the cell phone and discreetly wrote an SMS:

"Mori. Photo for analysis. Top priority: you know the drill. Karasu."

He attached the JPEG file and pushed the "SEND" button: he then pocketed the cell phone on his suit's chest pocket.

"… Might I have the bill?" Karasu called out to Hinoken.

"Yo! Right away!" Hinoken replied.

Karasu looked outside into the street and could spot two cars parked close by: one was a black Subaru while the other was a green Hyundai.

_The green Hyundai is ours, but… The black Subaru…? Oho. So our "evil genius" decided to come out personally, too? He must be trying to provoke us this time around… "Eye for an eye"… Heh, heh, heh._

He quickly picked the cell phone and began to write a new SMS:

"Mori. Check your neighbor. He's hiding your fedora in his cupboard just to troll you. Karasu."

He chuckled under his breath and hid the cell phone for the second time: Hinoken walked over to him while humming a tune: he deposited the platter with the bill on the table.

"The bill, _Danna_!" Hinoken announced.

"Excellent."

Karasu took out some bank notes and deposited them on the tray.

"You might keep the change."

"Thank you! We hope to see you again!"

"Good evening."

Karasu walked out in a discrete manner and headed for the blue Hyundai: Mori didn't seem to be very amused as he tapped the wheel with his right hand's index and middle finger.

"That of the fedora wasn't funny, Karasu!" He grumbled.

"Safety protocol: you know it."

"I know it! But couldn't have you picked another expression? It makes me look like a fedora collector!" Mori growled.

Karasu shrugged while Mori scoffed something…

19:03 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Well, _Comrades_?"

"Colonel, sir! No mistake, sir. It's our man, sir."

"Good work."

Colonel Talos stepped into a small room having a desk in which four agents were working with a laptop and an attached image projector: a sharp clean image of Yami was being displayed in the wall and was being compared with another in which his eyes were closed which looked like it was taken in a rush.

"The right photo was provided by Chief Lezareno, sir. Even though the quality is not good, it's clear enough to distinguish his main facial traits and to compare them. The match calculation gave us a 98.57% result because it couldn't compare the eye color. But we suspect he was using contacts to hide his true eye color, sir." Another agent reported.

"Good. What about Agent Mori's "neighbor", gentlemen? Is he our appreciated military background scientist?" Colonel Talos asked with a hint of sarcasm.

The image switched to a photo of Dr. Regal being compared to a man having blond hair and beard plus reading glasses: Colonel Talos lifted his eyebrows.

"The match result was 88.77%... The color threw the program off a bit but the facial traits are easily recognizable: plus the program detected that the beard was way too thick and so was the hair… It deduced it was a set of wigs and made the corresponding calculation, sir."

"Excellent. Good work, gentlemen."

"Thank you very much, sir!"

"You may rest."

"Roger, sir."

"Heh. If they want to challenge us… So be it." Colonel Talos smiled.

19:12 PM (Japan Time)…

_Heh, heh, heh!_

Yami exited the Maha Ichiban's Curry Shop and climbed into the black Subaru: he looked somewhat disappointed.

"So?" Dr. Regal asked.

"Nothing. They were joking the whole time. It'd seem they've totally forgotten about me. It was a waste of time coming out. I feel so stupid, really." Yami growled.

"Those children may have forgotten you but the adults seem to have not, I'd rather say." Dr. Regal made a smile.

"What?" Yami looked up.

"Didn't you spot the customer behind you?"

"No. Why should I?"

"He's in the car in front of us. And there are two of them. One even managed to photograph me by making an intelligent use of the rear view mirror… And I'm sure he photographed you when you looked towards the side to receive the meal." Dr. Regal explained.

"Crap!" Yami gasped.

"No good!" Delta muttered.

"We have stepped into a trap." Laser Man announced.

"And I suspect them to be part of that repulsive "Committee" organization… They were taking no chances. In fact… I managed to intercept their messages. Have a look." Dr. Regal looked amused somehow.

He handed Yami a cell phone and he looked at the screen: he immediately switched to a bewildered face.

"And this is supposed to be a coded message…?" He looked totally skeptical.

"Correct. It would seem Mr. "Karasu" has some humor worth of a King Land humor show." Dr. Regal confirmed.

He turned on the engine and began to drive away: Yami immediately began to glance at the rear view mirror but the blue Hyundai didn't seem to want to trail them.

"That's not how it works. This car is stationed here to watch over those children. They've surely called another which will come in sooner or later from one of this district's streets. They will most likely switch cars at one point to try to make us believe it was mere coincidence." Dr. Regal explained to Yami.

"Whoa. How do you know that, Doc?"

"Isn't it obvious? I am, after all, from the Z – Nation. They use these tricks the whole time and I had an acquaintance on the police who told me about it with a broad grin time ago." Dr. Regal smiled.

"Cool…" Yami whistled in surprise.

"Yet, I do think that their purpose is to get an approximate idea of our whereabouts and starting a "pressure" campaign to try to force our hand into attacking them out of impatience. But we will not fall for such childish bait. "Fool me once, you're to shame. Fool me twice, I am to shame." … No one gets fooled twice." Laser Man told Delta.

"Heh. That sounds fitting, _Danna_." Delta grinned.

"By the way, Doc… We don't have any X – Ray like device or whatever your need to make a scan of the brain? Maybe there's something on it like a chip which is messing with my memories…" Yami brought up.

"Sadly, such equipment is too large to carry around. The only way to do that would be a hospital, but… While I agree that the chip theory is very probable, we can't risk it all by trying to prove it. Sorry."

"Oh. I see. Well then, we could try to see if it at least has a wireless access or something like that." Yami suggested.

"I still don't see why they would go to such ends." Dr. Regal muttered.

19:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright. Here we are."

The black Subaru entered a single house's garage and the shutter descended: both Dr. Regal and Yami climbed out of it and Dr. Regal locked it up.

"No need for this anymore…" Dr. Regal muttered.

He removed the disguise and stored it on an attaché case which he picked: Yami was already unlocking a side door into the main corridor which both crossed: Yami made sure to lock it down again.

"Good. Let's go to the basement." Dr. Regal commanded.

"Roger, Doc."

Both stepped into the living room after sliding one of the paper walls: Dr. Regal closed it behind them and Yami crouched on the floor: he started touching the ground and found a tile that was a few centimeters deeper than the other ones which he pressed: it descended and one of the large rectangles in the ground then moved to reveal a secret set of stone stairs: they descended them and Yami pushed a tile on the wall thus closing the lid over them.

"Phew. Let's get into the main room." Yami muttered.

They headed ahead and found a slightly armored door which had three locks: Yami unlocked all of them and the door silently slid inside to reveal a small room with a table, a laptop and two chairs: two doors opened at both sides of it and there was a bathroom built on the north side.

"Well! Home, sweet home." Yami stretched.

"Good. Let's check on Nebula Grey's status. Plug In. Laser Man, Transmission." Dr. Regal commanded as he drew his PET III.

"Heh. I'm itchin' already to get my hands on a Link PET… Maybe Monday will be a good day once the weekend euphoria dies down." Yami muttered with a hint of amusement.

"Heh, heh. I'd like that." Delta grinned.

"Good! 98.5% complete… Another 70 minutes, more or less, and it'll be active… Finally… Nebula Grey will spread its power across the Cyber World and the Navis infected by the "Dark Power" shall respond to its will!" Dr. Regal exclaimed.

Both Yami and Delta seemed to react at his words as evidenced by their sudden frowning.

"Eh… Doc. I'm going to hit the sack."

"Fine. Good evening."

"Later, _Danna_."

"Later, then."

Yami entered his room which had just a bed, an open suitcase with packed clothing and a small table with the PET III charger: he sat down on the bed and tried to blow some air using a magazine: cursing under his breath, he stood up and took out all his clothing save for his black boxers.

"Phew. Feels better. This place is Hell 'cause there's no AC and poor ventilation… But it was intended to be temporary, after all. We'll soon move to a better place." He muttered.

"Hmmm… You look provoking with just the boxers on, Yami – kun. Heh, heh, heh." Delta teased.

"Really? Maybe that'd explain why sometimes weird men or women cornered me and kept on looking towards the spot of my stuff as if trying to provoke them: luckily, there always was a plain clothes policeman to shake them off." Yami muttered while frowning.

"They could've been those "Committee" agents, too… They surely were to make sure you weren't physically attacked." Delta suggested.

"But something about the Doc's words triggered a reaction on me…"

"Yeah… The part about Nebula Grey controlling the Navis infected by Dark Power is bothering me… Like if it was a _keystone_ for something…"

"Maybe we'll be able to sort this off soon. Say… Now that I think about it, no – one seems to have seen Rock Man around expect at his school… This sounds suspicious since he was known to be more open on his trips around the Cyber World… He must've gotten paranoid and must rarely come out of fear of being attacked…" Yami brought the right hand to his chin.

"I don't really care. As long as he doesn't get in our way, then… That's fine for us." Delta shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess so. Anyway… Which one did you pick now? The Legend of Hammer Man?" Yami teased.

"Jeez. _Mujura_'s _Mask_…" Delta grumbled.

"Did Ms. Moon tell ya you're fired?"

"It's a video! I'm not playing the game!"

"Who knows?"

"You do, Yami – kun."

"My. This sounds like a police questioning, even."

"Be serious."

"I am."

"You're not proving it."

"Bring me the medicine, then, Watson."

"That's not something to joke with! Back then, over 100 years ago, _that_ wasn't considered illegal as it is today!" Delta grumbled.

"Heh, heh, heh. Knowledge – sama strikes back."

"Jeez! Is this all you can do, Yami – kun?"

"No. I can tease you."

"No need to! Net Navis can't have a relationship with their Operators. I don't wanna get into a mess." Delta sentenced.

"Oh? Who decided that?"

"The national authorities, eight years ago, more or less at the same time "custom" Navis like me began existing…" Delta replied.

"What silliness… What's wrong with sharing feelings? It's not like you can come out and do stuff with me, right?" Yami laughed.

"That was until recently, but given the development of "Dimensional Areas" and "Copy Roids"…" Delta trailed off.

"Oho… True, true. So?"

"Nope! I'm not going to break such a moral code. I'm not 13 yet and I don't wanna be jailed for breaking the moral code." Delta quickly denied with his head.

"Ya have no sense of thrill, really!"

"Wanting to have thrill gets you into a mess 90% of the times."

"Can't be helped, then… I'll have to go for my secret weapon."

"Ah! No! I see where this heading to! Good night!" Delta gasped.

The PET III screen shut down and the letters "SLEEP MODE" showed up onscreen: Yami chuckled and looked very amused.

"Man. He sure is a shy guy. But I'd like to play around with one guy one day… It's gotta be way funnier than the typical and overused guy plays with gal… Nah. I'm not that type. My good looks can only be appreciated by a guy. Heh, heh, heh. Well! Time to hit the sack." Yami muttered as he articulated his wrists.

He climbed into the bed and pulled the thin cover over him: he made sure to place the pillow beneath his head and his hands behind his skull as he glanced at the ceiling.

_Well… Sleep well, Delta! And hope that someone doesn't invent a way for me to go inside of your PET and have fun with you all night long…_

He chuckled under his breath and fell asleep…


	28. Chapter 28: Reminiscense

**Chapter 28: Reminiscence**

04:04 AM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 18th…

"… _Ugh… Where the hell is this at…?"_

"_Your..."_

"_You!"_

_Yami was standing in front of a guy whose face was blurry: he was strapped to a wooden chair and had S&M gear on his body: some ropes were placed above and below his nipples as well as beneath his knees and around his ankles to keep him immobilized and tied into the chair: Yami was standing in front of him while holding a taser on his right hand and having a smug smile on his face: he looked deadly._

"_You lowlife!" The person hissed._

"_Hmpf. I will torture you and bend you before killing you off for good. The same fate is waiting for that bothersome guy… Today is your last day. No… … will help you this time around…" He grinned._

"_Hikarawa! You lowlife!" _

"_Yeah… That proud face of hate and anger… You'll soon be craving for mercy before I finish you off." _

"_Damn!" _

"_Heh, heh, heh. Once _partner_ gives me the signal, I'll begin. This will be synchronized so that both of you will die at the same time. Hell is waiting for you along the mourning souls of those you murdered."_

"_I never murdered anyone!"_

"_Or should I say, deleted? Whatever. You will be dead in less than 30 minutes from now: nothing can stop us "Demon Tribe" from rising to glory! Today the Sith win, Jedi. Heh, heh, heh."_

"_Damn! Is there no way out?"_

_Yami suddenly moved forward and forced his cock inside of his mouth._

"… _Hmpf. There. Make a good blowjob or I'll electrocute you again, you useless slave… You're just a piece of meat to be used!"_

_Yami could feel the thrill and rush which came to him as he forced the victim to make him a blowjob: he began to increase the pace._

"… _How do those two 5 cm vibrators feel? That's the feeling of being stuffed with two manly cocks! And, like _partner_ said, if you release, then you die…! There! Finish it up and swallow it up!"_

_He pushed the guy's head totally forward and grinned as he released and overfilled his mouth: he then took it out and the guy panted as some of the liquid dripped down across his chin and fell on top of his cock, which was already hard: the victim closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he seemingly tried to prevent his own release._

"_I'll make it harder, even!"_

_He placed those four capsule-shaped vibrators plus the clothes pegs on the nipples and bags: he didn't turn the vibrators on yet and rummaged into his right pocket to take out a gun which he aimed at the victim's forehead: he tried to break free in vain._

"_Useless…! You will die today. Once you do, then nothing and no-one will stop us. Such is the destiny… sama… set for us in advance thanks to his "… Power"… Don't you realize? … just destroyed the physical form of… sama… but its "soul" continues to live on as the "… Power": a program containing … sama's… fragments on …! His will keeps on living on inside of them and into my mindset, too!" _

"_D-damn! If you hadn't built that thing… This wouldn't have happened…!" _

"_Time's up. I just got the signal from _partner_…."_

_He turned on the vibrators and the victim began to agonize._

"_Attention. Emergency orders…." _

"_What "emergency orders"…?"_

"_Isolate… Hikarawa Yami… and seal… Execute orders."_

_A blue circle was drawn on his own feet and a metallic cylinder suddenly formed around him: it had a small curved glass window which allowed one to look inside and vice versa: he began to bang against the walls from the inside and yell something but his voice was totally muffled: Yami could feel hatred pulsing through his veins._

"_Open this thing up! I'm not done yet! I'm gonna fucking kill you! This place is my climax! Gra~h!" _

_The whole thing seemed to glow with increasing intensity until it felt like it was "flying" towards somewhere in a vertical direction: he tried hitting the wall in front of him with the taser but it only dissolved into nothingness with a bright flash: he then tried the gun but it also dissolved before he could try to pull the trigger: the capsule then seemed to stop and deposit on the ground inside of a totally unlit space._

"_What are you doing? Lemme outta 'ere! I'm not done yet! I've gotta kill that guy!"_

"_This is as far as this madness comes." An unknown man's voice announced._

"_Who the hell are you lowlife?"_

"_Need Not To Know… But I know what's wrong with you and what needs to be done to fix you... So listen and don't try to do anything foolish anymore…"_

"_What the hell!"_

"_Your current emotions, thoughts and memories… They are not generated by your will: you have being manipulated all along. Listen: you will be shed of this control and become a normal person. But, for your sake, you will forget this whole affair. It is the best for you. You are young. You live, you exist. You deserve to be yourself and not a tool of someone else. Now fall into slumber and forget…"_

"_W-what's… happening…? I'm… vanishing…?"_

_All became black and still…_

04:13 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Grah!"

Yami suddenly sat up on his bed while panting heavily: he could hear a low-tuned roar coming from close by.

"Huh… Nebula Grey… It finished reconstruction?" He muttered.

He glanced at the PET III and gasped upon seeing the time being displayed on its screen: he then looked at his hands and seemed to be trembling from fear.

"I… I wanted to kill someone…! I was about to…! Delta was about to kill someone else…! And I was torturing a guy…! Forcing him to…! W-was that…? My past me…? I was like that…? And Delta, too…? T-that can't be, right…? How could I…?" He muttered.

He suddenly closed his arms around his body as if trying to shield it and closed his eyes: he was shaking and trembling.

"W-wait… Someone told me… I was being manipulated… "sama"…? Just who… was using me…? Why did they want me to… be such a ruthless person…? The voice was right…! I deserved a second opportunity…! And this is why my past was altered…! Kami – sama…! I'm not 13, and…! I really wanted to kill… someone defenseless…! And torturing him by using toys to force him to release so that I could… kill… him…! No…! I don't want to be like that again…! No matter what…!" He muttered while his voice seemed to indicate increasing hysteria.

He clutched his head and suddenly jumped off the bed: he snuck out of the room and seemed to be drawn towards the image of Nebula Grey forming "Dark Chips" by shedding part of its power and then an automated Navi enclosed it within the "Dark Chip": the "Dark Chips" were being stocked in boxes and looked ready for distribution.

"You…? You're calling out to me…? Why…?" Yami asked it.

The monster merely roared as Yami stepped back as if he was afraid: his eyes did display fear.

"N-no! I get it now…! You! You were the one who messed with me in the past! Even though you were deleted… I was tainted by you somehow…! You are the "Dark Side" itself…! Are you… an incarnation of "Abeloth", the terrible monster…? Answer me! You can't control me anymore: my mind has defenses against you! You've been using the "Darkloids"…!" Yami whispered to it.

The monster seemed to stop roaring and stood still for a prolonged while: Yami had picked one of the chairs and was lifting it above his head as if being about to hit the laptop: he suddenly gasped and placed it back on the ground: the monster emitted a sound which could pass as deep laughter.

"I knew it…! You wanted me to be a "Sith" and kill the "Jedi"…! You're the source of everything…! You started it up…! The WWW…! Gospel…! Nebula…! The "Renegades"…! And you've lured us into recreating you within Neo Nebula, too…! Then… You're not really controlled by the Doc, are you?" Yami formed a grimace.

The monster emitted the same sound again and Yami's eyes began to display anger: he suddenly gasped and ran into the bathroom to wash his face with water: he returned in front of the computer and continued his "confrontation" with it.

"No. I told you. I cannot be controlled by you. Ever. Again. Do you get me, you monster? Delta and I won't be your puppets! One day… You will be struck down. But I get it: you don't care if your physical form is destroyed, because… The "Dark Power" will ensure that you continue existing in some form or another…! Your "hatred" and "grudge" will chase us as long as your core essence, your "soul", isn't destroyed…!" Yami realized.

The monster seemed to make a smile and Yami looked away: he then articulated his fingers as if trying to cool off.

"And you've triggered this memory of mine by accident as you tried to taint me again… But your own plan backfired! And since Delta has antibodies on him then you can't use him, either! Disappear!"

Yami violently brought the cover down and panted heavily.

"There. You can't do anything if you can't communicate with the outside world… Let's turn off the wireless adapter, too. And maybe I won't mind letting Forte destroy you twice. He'd do us a favor, really." Yami muttered aloud.

He headed back into his room and sat on the edge of his bed while looking thoughtful: he then glanced at the PET III and seemed to realize something else.

"Delta. You've heard it all, haven't you?"

"… Yeah. I saw something similar, too…" Delta admitted as he showed up onscreen: he looked worried.

"I now see why both of us don't remember our past. The only mystery left is to find out who I really am. I'm sure I had a life before you found me and indirectly tainted me. I'll play along with the Doc, but… Eventually, I will be quitting. I can't stand being near that thing. But we have nothing to worry about: whoever granted us this second chance wanted to make sure that the tragic events leading up to our "purging" could not happen ever again… Guess we should be thankful to them." Yami told him.

"… Yami – kun… I'll… follow you anywhere you go. It's my obligation as your personal Net Navi… And… I'm sorry for my attitude in the evening, because… That would be a bliss compared to what both of us did back then… Say… You couldn't see the face of the "victim", either?" Delta asked him as he looked up.

"No. And parts of the dialogue felt "censored"… I'm sure there are fail-safes in our memories. Most of them were surely deleted but this one may have slipped somewhere too deep to be located easily. And now that that monster has come back, since the memory must have had a "tag" with its name, then it was brought up." Yami deduced.

"… Guess we should try to sleep somehow. Maybe we'll see things differently with sunlight." Delta suggested.

"Yeah. Good night."

Yami climbed back into the bed while Delta switched off…

10:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Hey! Obihiro – kun! What a coincidence!"

"Y-yeah! Nice coincidence…"

"How do you do?"

Netto and Saito crossed paths with Obihiro in the Densan City Shopping Mall: he looked surprised at meeting them while they smiled.

"Is your "forum" idea progressing?" Netto asked.

"Oh. It's already running and it's a total success. The Net Police is very pleased at it. I now help Mr. Vadous with some beta program testing and double-checking." Obihiro admitted.

"Wow. Checking out Vadous – san's programs… You've gotta be fascinated to no end, right?" Netto whistled in surprise.

"Well… More or less, I'd say… Most of them are small trivial programs which monitor the temperature of rooms and devices… Other programs are some "emergency status" which output something given some circumstances…" Obihiro explained.

"Cool. He obviously needs a huge mainframe to control something as complicated as a… eh… yacht." Saito seemed to correct himself.

"Yeah. So… What hobbies do you have?" Netto asked.

"Truth to be told… I like checking _manga_ forums out… I'm starting to build a base of several _manga_ series and trying to connect them to form a "cross-over" type of story…" Obihiro giggled in an uneasy manner.

"So, you're living here in Densan City?" Saito asked him.

"Yeah… This way I don't stand out… I found myself a little and nice apartment… I always make sure to help the admin check on its security systems once a month… They always have some bug or another… Speaking of bugs… I should give you these…" Obihiro smiled.

He rummaged into his pouch and grinned at them.

"Guess what's here." He challenged.

"Huh… A remote…?" Netto frowned.

"Huh… A candy bar…?" Saito tried to guess.

"Wrong! Heh, heh, heh. These are for you two: close your eyes and open your palms… I wanna dramatize a bit." Obihiro grinned.

Both looked at each other and then shrugged: they closed their eyes and extended their hands: Netto felt two objects being placed on it while Saito felt one on the right hand: both closed their hands out of instinct and then opened his eyes: Obihiro signaled for them to be quiet.

"Please don't increase the voice!" He told them.

They slowly opened their palms and gasped in surprise: Obihiro kept on signaling for them to be quiet.

"Whoa…! Wood Gospel, Elec Gospel…!" Netto whispered.

"Aqua Gospel…!" Saito gasped.

"Heh, heh! Mr. Vadous gave you "Fire Gospel" back on Christmas, but I was waiting for a moment to give these to you two… I know I came to your birthday, but… I forgot them, truth to be told. And we didn't talk much back then, either… Sorry." Obihiro apologized.

"We understand it, Obihiro – kun. You were just getting used to hanging around us." Netto smiled at him.

"Higure – san will soon be offering his WHOLE store in exchange for these, I'd rather say…" Saito giggled.

"Heh, heh! It wouldn't surprise me!" Netto grinned.

"I'm glad I was of help, really." Obihiro looked relieved.

"You're always welcome, Obihiro – kun." Saito insisted.

"You're our friend, too!"

"T-thanks…"

Netto's Link PET rang and he discreetly took it out: Forte was onscreen and Netto lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

"Forte! What's up?"

"W-whoa! The real Forte…!" Obihiro gasped.

"Don't worry, Obihiro. I don't mind about the "Ultimate Navi Construction Scheme" thing anymore… It was Wily's laziness the one behind it and it was so lazy that it backfired…" Forte sounded amused.

"Speaking of that…" Saito began.

"Yeah. He's sniffing out the punk." Forte confirmed.

"Grrr…" "Gospel" growled in the background.

"Oh… The… eh… "Little brother"… of… eh… "Gospel"… Should we call it "Gospel Jr.", then?" Obihiro slowly suggested.

"Why not…" Forte sounded amused.

"Grawl! Gruff! Gruff!"

"Guess it doesn't mind but the punk is getting close."

"The punk…? DS Blues…?" Saito deduced.

"Yeah. I've felt it this night… A new Nebula Grey has been born. I'm going to track that guy and destroy it." Forte told them.

"Do it! Nebula Grey was the source of January's mess: if it comes back, then we're gonna get into deep shit." Netto growled.

"Delighted. Hmmm… I can smell his _Channel 171_ perfume… He must be trying to date his Boss…" Forte muttered with obvious sarcasm.

"That sounds like something Omega would say…" Netto lifted his eyebrows and sounded surprised.

"Met him, once… Nice fella. Hmmm… He's less than 200 meters away from my nice ambush and he now reeks of "Equipment Cards" for "Dark Attribute Monsters"… Heh, heh, heh."

"… You lowlife! Forte!" DS Blues growled off-screen.

"About to date your Boss?" Forte teased.

"Shut up! Take this!"

DS Blues shot something towards Forte but his "Dark Aura" protected him from the attack: Forte then jumped out of the camera range as DS Blues hit the floor with a Neo Variable Sword which got stuck there.

"Gospel Jr.! Play with this neo-punk." Forte called out.

"Grawl!"

"Damn!"

The face of "Gospel Jr." appeared onscreen and it looked rather hostile: DS Blues drew the Neo Variable Sword and began to step away: "Gospel Jr." suddenly jumped forward and bit the right shoulder: DS Blues roared in agony and tried to break free: "Gospel Jr." dropped him on the ground while making a spat sound.

"Grawl! Gruff! Gruff! Grawl!"

"Too bad… It'd seem you don't meet his qualifications to be his mid-morning appetizer." Forte taunted.

"Grah… Gu… Gu… Guah… Damn… My shoulder...! I'll r-remember this, you lowlife! I'll bring something to… blow that "Aura" away… a-and… delete you lowlife…!" DS Blues groaned.

"Run before the creditors come for your skin and try to dismember you into a puzzle." Forte chuckled.

DS Blues became data and disappeared while "Gospel Jr." began to sniff the air as if tracing it.

"Ya saw it. Use one pawn to eliminate the other and emerge for the spoils for yourself… Heh, heh, heh." Forte announced.

"Good job!" The three of them complimented.

"Thanks, guys. See ya!" Forte blinked them an eye.

10:28 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Yo! Bloody Shadowy! Watcha playin'?"

"Sigma… That dialect is silly. And I'm playing _Starfox Assault_."

"Assault a starfox, then?"

"No~…"

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm into the Smash Brothers, too. Koppa sweeps the floor with anythin' standin' on it, shadowy bloody."

"Will you stop with those silly nicknames already, Sigma?"

Sigma popped his head into a room where Blood Shadow was playing with a Wii console: he'd removed his right arm shotgun to be able to use both hands and looked annoyed at Sigma's puns.

"A gentleman over here is having fun with _Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins_ and messing around." Omega joked as he showed up behind Sigma.

"Huh! Sir Omega, sir!" Both saluted.

"Good news: Forte is going to get rid of a headache using his superb Game Shark codes." Omega chuckled.

"Excellent, sir!" Both exclaimed.

"Good. And Sigma… Those nicknames are really silly. He's Blood Shadow or Blood. End of story. Gotcha?"

"Huh… Roger, sir!"

"Well then… Beware of Wario's toxic gases… Heh, heh, heh."

"I'm off. See ya, Blood – chan!"

"Oi! That ain't fair, Sigma!"

Sigma closed the door and ran off, laughing, while Blood Shadow fumed.

_Why can't he stop making up pointless puns? That guy, really…_

He resumed playing the game and grinned…


	29. Chapter 29: Forte's strike

**Chapter 29: Forte's strike**

11:08 AM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 18th…

"… Grah… Guh… Agh!"

"DS Blues…! What in the world happened?"

"Forte, sir…!"

"What!"

DS Blues somehow made it back to the base and his right shoulder had a horrible bite mark on it: he was hissing and barely managing to keep his balance using the left arm: Delta hurried to catch him when he collapsed and he groaned in agony.

"You need immediate repairs… Come: I'll bring you to the lab."

"That repulsive Forte…! I can feel my hate for that guy pulsing through me…! I'll go and slowly and painfully dismember the guy…!" DS Blues hissed.

Delta gasped and looked afraid: he quickly looked elsewhere and closed his eyes before sighing.

"DS Blues. This is an order. I forbid you from carrying "hate" and "grudge" because they will cloud your mind and make you recklessly charge in only to get deleted. Do you understand me?" Delta commanded.

"… Roger, sir."

"Remember: no "hate" and no "grudge" are allowed. Am I clear enough, DS Blues?" Delta asked him.

"Yes, sir…! I understand, sir… By your orders, sir…"

"Good. Here: the repairs capsule. Take a rest."

"Roger, sir…"

Delta placed DS Blues inside of the capsule and began to boot up the repairs program while he sighed.

"Confirmed, huh? Grey does try to stir up the "Dark Side" in the Darkloids for its own benefit: the more intense "hate" and "grudge", the more it grows in power. And something tells me there's a tracer bug amongst whatever DS Blues is infected with. Forte will be dropping by here sooner or later, you can be sure of it." Yami whispered to him.

"Yeah… Have you made any progress on our "strategy", Yami – kun? I'm afraid we'll need it sooner than we thought even if Forte is coming to blow that thing into bits and bytes…" Delta whispered back.

"I can understand most of the data and I see how the antibodies work: I'm trying to turn it into a self-compressed program with an extractor for easier storage and execution. But I doubt being done before tomorrow at this rate…" Yami reported.

"Tomorrow is better than never." Delta nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure Laser Man can't hear you?"

"Please… He's standing in front of that monster about 600 meters from here… With its loud voice and being focused on the "Dark Chip" quality check… It's impossible for him to hear us… And the laptop screen only displays the Evil Server 4. I'm in Evil Server 2."

"Good. I just wanted to make sure. I don't want the Doc to find out about this because I fear he may get one of those angered moods and try to sabotage our work… But since the Darkloids always will obey you, then they won't question if you give them the program with some excuse or another…"

"Roger. I better make it look like I'm busy with the repairs. Try to pick up a video or something to make it seem you're having a thrill." Delta suggested to him.

"Deal… I'm gonna start watching _Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty…_ This one promises." Yami grinned.

"Good! Remember: encrypt the data and hide it on the PET's root directory… And make sure to act like you haven't been doing anything suspicious…"

"… Too bad. I heard everything."

Both gasped and Delta looked behind him to see Forte standing there with a broad smile.

"So you wanna me to make you tow a favor by blowing up that alien wannabe, then… Delighted. I don't like competency." He announced with a broad grin.

"Y-yeah…? Uh… T-then… Go ahead." Delta whispered.

"Oh. Expect a visit from the Net Police and the C.S.I. Las Vegas team soon enough, fellows. Beware of the flu."

"The flu…?"

"The flu…? In the summer…?" Yami sounded surprised.

"They say too much AC is bad for the skin."

"Guess so…"

"Guess you wanna play "suspicious guy"… Where's our alien wannabe buddy at?"

"Evil Server 4: 600 meters north of here… There's only one road so there's no way to get lost." Delta whispered.

"Good. Try to hide your "Raise Dead" Magic Card 'cause you'll have to stop Dr. House from using it… And even if he did use it, given Grey's status, it'd only last 1 Turn, so… Heh, heh, heh…"

"Uh… Sure…"

"By the way… Beware of Ocelot's #1 Fan roaming out there… He might surprise you with his perfect imitation…"

"Huh… And here I thought I was Liquid Snake's #1 Fan…" Yami muttered with obvious surprise.

"Heh heh, heh. You never know. See ya!"

"Chance, Yami – kun!"

Yami got the message and ran out of the bedroom and into the main room where Dr. Regal was working with the laptop.

"Doc! Trouble!"

"What now?" Dr. Regal didn't bother to turn.

"Dr. Regal – sama! I can detect a powerful presence heading over here… It's getting close, sir!" Laser Man reported.

"What? Who is it?" He demanded.

"That'd be me…" An amused voice replied.

"Forte!"

Forte calmly stepped into the area while looking amused: Laser Man assumed a combat pose.

"Please… How many times do I have to say? That's outdated. And pointless, too. Step aside and save yourself the trouble of being beaten in less than a minute's time. The same happened to Delta, ya see. He tried to resist, so I delivered a good kick to his helmet… He must be counting the bells by now." Forte amusedly announced.

"Damn you!" Dr. Regal cursed.

"Cross Laser!"

"Cheap."

The Cross Laser bounced off the "Dark Aura" and hit Laser Man instead, making him fall from the observation platform into the ground: Nebula Grey then looked at Forte: a purple "silhouette" of _another_ Nebula Grey formed from behind Forte: he giggled and Nebula Grey roared as it began to bombard Forte with bluish flames: Forte was already two steps ahead and walking in a square pattern around the K. O. Laser Man who was trying to stand up.

"So? How many bells did ya count? The twelve bells of _Mitternacht_, maybe? Or, rather… The twelve bells of the Time Carnival signaling the end of Termina?" Forte taunted.

"Damn you…!" Laser Man growled.

"Yo! Alien wannabe! Bite my cloak!" Forte taunted.

Nebula Grey roared and shot a rain of blue needles towards Forte: they all dissolved upon contact with his "Dark Aura" and he whistled the _Legend of Zelda_ main theme.

"Time's up! Ms. Moon tells ya that you're fired! Hell's Rolling!"

The two indented wheels traveled up Nebula Grey's torso and left two deep cuts on it which began to leak purple-colored data: the monster roared and suddenly vanished to be replaced by "dragons" with red heads and bodies made of purple flames: they bombarded the field but the only who got damaged was Laser Man as he tried to stand up.

"Laser Man! Return!"

"Roger!"

He logged out and Forte quickly flipped into the air to land atop the observation platform: he shrugged as if taunting the monster: Nebula Grey looked pissed off by now: all stocked up "Dark Chips" suddenly flew out of the capsules and began to be absorbed by the monster.

"That won't save ya, you know. Stalkid tells you you're fired, too. Heh, heh, heh!" Forte chuckled.

"Damn! I can't command it to stop! It's going to overload its mass and collapse into itself like a star at this rate!" Dr. Regal cursed.

"Ops. And that'd ruin the system, right, Mr. Universe?"

"Of course it will!" Dr. Regal hissed.

"But what if the pet was to be deleted before that?"

"Then the implosion won't happen!"

"Fine. Let's end this cat-and-mouse game already. I'm itching for a cool ending to this."

"You lowlife!"

"Earth Breaker!"

"No way!"

Forte built up energy on his right hand until it grew into a yellowish spheroid: he then jumped towards Nebula Grey and hit the chest: eight radial streaks of light jumped out of it and the monster roared as it body began to be deleted.

"I added some "Pile Driver" Program Advance effects… Given how it's "Light Attribute", then it's super-effective against this thing." Forte calmly announced.

"Impossible! You have the 1st Nebula Grey's remains inside of you, don't you? They'd be incompatible!"

"Who said I needed that?" Forte asked.

"What?" Dr. Regal gasped.

"That was a hologram and not a real power: my defenses "killed" the 1st Nebula Grey's remains and transformed it into regeneration ability."

"Damn you!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Oi! You freak! You're fired! Who decided that? Willard Whyte! You're the one who brought misfortune to Bert Saxby by having the FBI agents hit 'im in the 70s!" Forte laughed.

"This guy is nuts!" Yami muttered.

"No… I'm funny. Thanks to Serenade, really."

"Damn Serenade!"

"If you thought I'm trouble… Wait until you see how he could swipe the floor without even blinking!" Forte exclaimed.

"Groa~h!"

The monster finally was deleted and several Dark Chips hit the floor while looking dim and power-lacking: Forte landed on the ground and shook some dust off his cloak.

"Nebula Grey…! It didn't even last 8 hours…! And I spent a lot of time rebuilding it…! But I can do it! I have several copies of it!" Dr. Regal roared in clear anger.

"Grrrr… Grawl! Grawl!"

"Gospel Jr." came in and looked in a good mood, for once.

"Good job, Gospel Jr. He just infected all your copies with "Pile Driver" factors. Kiss them farewell." Forte announced.

"Damn dog!"

"Grawl! Grrr! Grawl! Gruah!"

"He'll eat that beard away." Forte translated.

"Damn you!"

"Grrr! Gruh! Growl! Grawl!"

"You're cheap."

"How dare you!"

"Well then… I'm off. CSI Las Vegas will be dropping by soon enough headed by our shiny red knight, Omega – sama. I'm off and don't forget to wash your teeth after each meal, Deputy." Forte joked.

"Damn you! You lowlife!"

"Oh! By the way, Hikarawa… There are some things which are better not knowing from time to time: it's called "Need Not To Know", ya see. Gotcha?" Forte called out.

"Y-yeah… I get that feeling from time to time." Yami admitted.

"I guess Delta stopped counting bells by now… And I'm sure he's reached the 100 bells mark. Heh, heh, heh. O. K. I'll leave you guys to flee through the backdoor: the _perfect_ escape route. _No pain_, _no gain_! Let's go, Gospel Jr.! To the infinite and beyond!"

"Grawl! Grrr!"

"… Yami – kun." Dr. Regal icily called out.

"Y-yes, sir…? What is it, sir…?" Yami suddenly switched to a polite register while his teeth danced.

"Pick your PET III and suitcase: we're leaving!"

"R-roger, sir!"

Yami hurried back into his room and closed the suitcase before picking the PET III and storing it on his pouch: he then ran out and met with Dr. Regal, who carried a suitcase of his own, too.

"I finished arranging for the new hideout… Fukushima Prefecture. We should be there in about 3 hours. Let's hurry: I don't care if they try to follow us." Dr. Regal commanded.

"R-roger, sir…"

"The lab is included in the laptop, so… We're not forgetting anything at all, luckily enough." Delta reminded them.

"Correct. We must hurry." Laser Man merely replied.

They both ran out of the refuge and into the ground floor of the house: they then entered the garage and climbed into the black Subaru: Yami took care of opening the shutter and closed it down after the car stopped in the ramp: he climbed inside and the car ran out of the district.

"This is spiraling down." Dr. Regal cursed.

"Eh… So it'd seem, sir, but… We still have the Darkloids, sir. We could continue our guerilla campaign, sir…" Yami timidly suggested.

"I don't think that'll be viable anymore… They've been playing with us this whole time but they're about to get serious... They must plan on wearing us off." Dr. Regal grumbled.

"Oh. So that's how it is…" Yami trailed off.

"Nobody laughs at my face…!" Dr. Regal made a grimace

Yami gulped and slowly nodded in understanding…

11:23 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Ah… Niisan…"

"Feels weird doing it while standing, eh?"

"Guess so…"

"Heh, heh. I'm going to patent this new approach."

Saito was making with Netto as they stood inside of the shower, which was off: both had their boxers on although Netto's rear portion of them was lowered to expose his rear and Saito was sticking his cock out through the gap in front: Netto was also doing the same as Saito closed his arms around his stomach area and moved in and out: Netto looked ecstatic as he rubbed his cock with his right hand and Saito played with his nipples using his soak-coated fingers.

"Yeah… Still have the boxers partly on makes it different somehow… And my nipples feel fantastic like this, niisan…" Netto moaned.

"Heh, heh, heh. I'm a genius, it'd seem."

"Yeah… Ya always were, anyway…"

"I'm going to give you a helping hand."

Saito closed his right hand around Netto's right wrist and began to help him rub at a greater speed: Netto's moans increased in volume and Netto looked about to release: Saito suddenly licked the rear part of the right ear and Netto arched his body backwards.

"N… Niisan…! It's coming out…!" He cried.

He released and stained both his upper torso and face: he dragged Saito along and they then both panted from the effort: Netto looked over his shoulder to see how Saito seemed to be ecstatic.

"Netto – kun… I… will you always be with me?" He suddenly asked.

"I promise you, niisan. No – one can split us again."

Saito suddenly turned him around and began a passionate kiss with him.

"W-whoa!" Netto gasped.

He returned the kiss and both hugged each other for about two minutes before breaking apart for air.

"I just feel that… something could happen, but… Maybe I'm just being paranoid…" Saito muttered.

"Niisan… Can I go inside?" Netto requested.

"Come in, Netto – kun. Make me feel alive."

"Uh? Huh… Sure."

Saito turned around as Netto lowered the rear part of his boxers: he rubbed his cock and stuffed it inside of Saito after expanding his insides with the three fingers: he used the soap bar to rub his nipples as Saito began to rub his own cock.

"Knowing Forte… He's made mincemeat of that thing by now… I'm sure he'll bring us the news… And that duumvirate must be on the run to the Bahamas, too…" Saito giggled.

"Sure thing! They're now going to find out that they fell for the "confidence" strategy. Blood and the other two are gonna start pushing them back." Netto grinned.

"Yeah. Maybe they'll even flee to Baja California and try to build an oil rig there like Blofeld did." Saito looked amused.

"And then Bond will come in claiming he's an "environment inspector" to check on the condition of the rig before blowing it up…"

"O. K. I guess that's enough talking. Trigger me off."

"Roger, Admiral."

Netto grinned and began to rub Saito's cock using his right hand: Saito moaned and suddenly cried as he released: Netto felt his own release being triggered, too, and sounded ecstatic.

"Perfect…" He chuckled.

"Let's go for the new game, Netto – kun."

"O. K."

Saito dropped to his knees and began to lick Netto's cock at a slow and deliberate pace to excite him: Netto moaned and began to rub his nipples as if trying to trigger his release: Saito grinned and licked the urethra to send shivers down Netto's spine: he began to leak pre-cum which Saito quickly licked and scattered all of it around the head.

"Nii… Niisan… Saito… niisan…! It feels good…!" He moaned.

Saito then began to pull up the foreskin and then lick around it: Netto gasped and suddenly released when Saito pulled it back: he overfilled his mouth and Saito calmly flavored it before standing up: Netto looked overwhelmed, even.

"My technique is too much for you, otouto – chan?"

"That sounds girly…" Netto protested.

"Try me out."

"Yeah… I'm eager to."

Netto dropped to his knees and began doing the same although he focused on licking the urethra: Saito moaned and quickly released to fill up Netto's mouth: Netto grinned and swallowed it before standing up and closing his arms around Saito's lower torso: he placed his cock against his and approached his lips to his.

"Let's go, niisan."

"Yeah… Let's end up."

They began a new passionate kiss while rubbing their cocks together: both released and stained their faces so they licked them clean and kissed for the third time: they eventually broke up to watch at the white string.

"I love you, Saito – niisan."

"I love you, Netto – kun."

11:30 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Anyone home?"

"Yo. Forte. So?"

"They fled to the Bahamas?"

"They sure did."

"Grawl."

Forte had showed up on Netto's Link PET with a broad grin on his face: "Gospel Jr." was merely smelling around the space while being seemingly uninterested.

"Heh, heh. How long did it last?" Netto asked.

"About 5 minutes… But I was playing around, too."

"I guess Hikarawa was horrified."

"Actually, not. They were hoping for me to blow it up in secret, both he and Delta. I guess that monster must've triggered something on them which changed them: they looked defeatist and not so confident anymore when I showed up…" Forte admitted.

"Then Vadous – san's fail-safes have been triggered… If they wanted you to destroy it… Then they must've "experienced" a _flashback_ which made them think it twice about their current status." Saito deduced.

"Yeah… And if they end up surrendering… Then it'll be a good thing, wouldn't it?" Forte suggested.

"True. But I'm afraid Regal won't let go of his "usefulness" so easily, unfortunately enough…" Netto guessed.

"We could always provide him with a way out if he truly wanted to quit the business…" Saito proposed.

"O. K. I'm off to telling the grunts that they're fired." Forte grinned.

The three of them giggled while "Gospel Jr." merely growled…


	30. Chapter 30: The Darkloids' Revenge

**Chapter 30: The Darkloids' revenge**

13:44 PM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 18th…

"… Groa~h!"

"There."

Forte was standing in front of a weakened Reverse Internet Navi whose body was smoking: some purple data flew out of its body and was deleted as well: the Navi then looked up, confused.

"What the hell happened to me? I used that "Dark Chip" thing and I dunno what I've been doing…!" The Navi muttered.

"I'm off."

Forte began to walk away followed by "Gospel Jr." while he seemingly thought aloud.

"… Let's go rest for a bit. After all, I've just destroyed a Level 12 "Dark" Attribute "Demon –Tribe" Effect Monster. Guess that makes me an "Earth" Attribute Level 10 "Warrior – Tribe" Effect Monster as well… "Gospel" could be a Level 8 "Earth" Attribute "Beast – Tribe" Ritual Monster! The Ritual Card to summon him could be named "Bug Fusion": "Offer as sacrifice one or more Monsters who's combined Levels sum 10…" … It's fun to compare things with that Card Game…"

"Grawl…"

"You like your ranking? Good. Go and smell out any more guys like that one… _If_ any are left."

"I'm afraid we got ahead of ya…"

"We were eager for some action, ya see."

"And this proved to be the perfect exercise, too."

Forte stopped when the _Three Musketeers_ caught up with him: they all looked in a good mood.

"Yo. Been hunting?" Forte greeted.

"Sure thing. We used an antibody program which prevents them from getting infected again like the vaccine for the Zero Virus." Omega explained with a grin.

"They recklessly tried to spar with me at swords but forgot about this little babe over 'ere." Blood Shadow grinned as he held his shotgun up.

"They ran like chicken at my imposing sight! My sword sent 'em flyin' all the way to Los Angeles!" Sigma laughed.

"Undoubtedly. Say… Would you believe that Hikarawa and Delta are starting to question their true nature?" Forte asked.

"Not really. Boss was expecting Nebula Grey's reconstruction to trigger the "censored" version of one memory where its name came up. Given how they'd been behaving in a rational manner ever since January, then it surely had a profound impact on them. They surely don't wanna be like that again, so… There's the probability of them surrendering." Omega admitted.

"I talked it with Rock Man and Hikari right now. They also seemed to find this scenario probable, too, but suggested that Regal may not let go of them so easily given their "usefulness"… Not surprising taking into account where he came from…" Forte told them.

"Yeah… But if he did try to approach us to surrender, then we could easily extract him using a "Dimensional Converter", anyway. Regal would be left to destroy everything in a fit of rage before going to desperate ends which we could quickly counter." Omega calmly shrugged.

"Yo! Gospel Jr.! What's up?" Sigma called out.

"Grawl! Grrr…"

"He says he smells about five preys fighting 500 meters NNW of our current position… Wanna check it out?"

"Yeah. _Check it out_! Like that Bright Man guy during the Zero Virus crisis used to say…" Blood grinned.

The group laughed…

19:22 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew! We made it… Took a while given all the detouring but it surely was worth it."

"True. When in doubt, detouring and switching cars is a good strategy to shake off pursuers. The Z – Nation police often tried that applied to their forces to sharpen them."

"I see, sir."

"Why did you change registers, anyway?"

"Eh… I thought I should behave in a serious manner…"

"Fine."

Yami and Dr. Regal climbed down from a bluish Honda van inside of what seemed to be a traffic tunnel: much of it was unlit expect for two locked armored doors to their right.

"That's the entrance to the refuge, maintained by the JSDF. As I told you on the way here, the road we took is a military secret only known to a few and camouflaged from satellites: it "officially" doesn't exist and you can only pick it up by crossing through that hanger building containing the new super-energy engine prototype plane." Dr. Regal explained.

"Yet, it can be accessed on foot through the mountain's foothills, is that not right, Dr. Regal?" Yami politely asked.

"Correct. Let's head upwards and choose our rooms as well as set up the equipment." Dr. Regal replied.

"How are DS Blues' repairs like?" Laser Man asked Delta.

"Over 95% complete, _Danna_… I'm trying to purge out the myriad of bugs programs inside of him… But I don't think Forte will bother to come after us anymore, anyway." Delta reported.

"Fine."

"I'll keep working on it."

Dr. Regal and Yami entered a heavy-duty elevator built behind the doors and climbed up at a quick pace: Dr. Regal looked annoyed while Yami looked nervous.

_Let's hope he doesn't try to discharge his bad mood into me… I don't believe him to be the _shotacon _type, luckily enough… They tend to repress those things in military training… And although Snake seemed to catch some of Meryl's feelings, well, that's another history… I'm surprised, though, at Ocelot's behavior in the tanker chapter… Maybe it'll be explained further on and I really doubt Snake being behind those "Sons of Liberty" group… Someone is trying to frame him, obviously enough, given how he shows up on the Big Shell to give you a hand…_

"… By the way, Yami – kun…"

"Yes, sir…? What is it, sir…?" He gulped.

"Is it me or did I hear you talking to Nebula Grey this dawn?"

"Eh… Why should I, sir?"

"Then I imaged it. How can anyone talk to it when it's not programmed to "understand" or "reply", anyway? It just was programmed to form "Dark Power" and that's all." Dr. Regal shrugged.

_Wrong, Doc… That thing was WAY more than that. You DIDN'T control it at all: YOU were its puppet! Its unconscious puppet… Like Stalkid was Mujura's Mask puppet as well, or so Delta told me… Luckily… That thing can't do something as dramatic as make the Moon crash with the Earth in 72 hours… _

The elevator slowed down pinged as it unlocked: both stepped into a command room with an oval-shaped oak table which had several foldable plastic chairs set around it, plus an LCD screen mounted on the other end of the room.

"Good. We will install the laptop here and connect it to the screen: you can go and pick a room meanwhile."

"Ah… Thank you, sir."

Yami headed out of the room and walked down a corridor: he entered the first room he found and found two bunk beds, a desk, two chairs, a sink, a toilet and a small shower with a curtain.

"Looks nice enough… Fine. I'll pick this room." He decided.

He placed the PET III on the desk and tried climbing into the top bunk after taking his shoes off: he placed both hands behind the head and looked somewhat worried.

"Delta… Do you think that the Doc is not going to let go of us so easily? I mean, I don't think we're walking the right path anymore. We should rethink what we really seek in life, shouldn't we?" He called out.

"Yeah… And… I don't know why, but… I don't feel like abandoning so suddenly… No. We could… try to see how things evolve like. If we end up as a sinking ship, then, yeah, we could jump overboard." Delta replied with a sigh.

"Guess we should be glad that Nebula Grey wasn't just like Mujura or we'd need the _Onigami_ to stop it." Yami muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah… No doubt… And the Four Giants, too…"

"Fine. Let's watch how things unfold."

"I'll go check on DS Blues."

"Remember to keep the mask up…"

"I know."

Delta exited the PET III while Yami lazily took off his black sleeveless t-shirt with the motto "You're fired" painted blood red on it plus his black shorts to remain only on his black boxers and socks.

"Better. And when Delta comes back, I'll tease him. There's nothing wrong in teasing a guy, anyway. Maybe they should have that Stalkid spar with the Great Demon King Ganondorf: he'd make mincemeat of him and keep the mask as decoration." He muttered with a hint of amusement.

He chuckled under his breath…

22:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Last check… Who's in charge now?"

"Shade, sir."

"Shade Man, huh… Where is he? Hiding in the ceiling?"

"Guess so, sir…"

Delta barely repressed a yawn as he spoke with Cloud Man: he was saluting and looked serious.

"Fine. Oi! Shade Man. No sucking data off intruders, gotcha?" Delta called out.

"Roger, sir… I'll instead have them see the "Star Gate" sequence to confuse them and inspire both fear and terror into them… Heh, heh, heh, heh…" His voice rang out from somewhere in the unlit "ceiling".

"Fine. I dunno what that's about but I hope it's nothing way too explicit 'cause I won't like it."

"Please do not be concerned: it is merely a hypnotic depiction of higher-than-light-speed-travel… You may laugh at _Star Wars'_ "hyperspace jump" special effects… Heh, heh, heh."

"Whatever. I'm not into the mood for a serious talk. Good night. Try to go rest soon, Cloud. We'll have busy days ahead of us."

"Thank you very much, sir." Cloud Man saluted.

"Do rest, sir, and please leave it to a humble servant like me, sir. I shall direct intruders to Lady Gaga's Twitter profile." Shade Man announced with obvious amusement.

"Fine. As long as you don't anything "indecent" per se… I'm off."

He headed out while Cloud Man hovered towards his capsule and smiled.

"Later, Shade!"

"Later, Cloud… Heh, heh, heh."

22:55 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Nothing abnormal over here… I dunno who managed to find my email address and personally warn me something was being brewed up here but I guess it's one of those popular pranks…"

Vadous was walking across the rooftop of the Nebula Factory: he looked around but found nothing to be out of place.

"Heh, heh, heh… You fell for the trap, human!" A creepy voice rang out of nowhere.

"Shade Man?" Vadous wondered aloud.

Several bats flew out from an air duct and joined to reveal Shade Man's form: the moonlight bathing his form gave it a lot of "shade" so he seemed to be creepier than usual.

"I've been waiting for this day… Tonight I shall defeat you!"

"Something tells me Delta didn't order it this time around."

"No… Delta – sama is busy with something else, so… I was technically in charge of night shift after Cloud Man, yet… My body was yearning to settle the score… I'm faster than back then!"

"Being faster won't help you."

"We'll see about that… Shade Hunt!"

A gigantic claw formed and tried to catch Vadous: he, however, drew both swords and quickly cut the claw in four pieces which were deleted: Shade Man suddenly dived towards him but he calmly crossed his swords to form the Alphabet letter X: the swords began to glow with an incandescent red light as if they'd just come out of forging: a torrent of flames formed on the intersection point and flew towards Shade Man: they jumped into his body and began to inflict burn marks.

"Guo~h…!"

He dropped into the ground and rolled across it to try to put the flames out while he panted.

"I hope that proved it. I'm off." Vadous merely announced as he holstered both swords and turned around.

"You damn… Jedi…!"

"Nope. I'm not a "Jedi" per se. I'm a former "Sith". I'm "neutral" but I would rather favor legality." Vadous shrugged.

He began to walk out but Shade Man was managing to stand up: his face contracted to display pure hatred and anger as a purple "ghost" of Nebula Grey became visible around him: his eyes became red stains and he drew his fangs out: he quickly leapt across the air and aimed his claws towards Vadous from behind.

"DIE~!" He roared.

Vadous, however, turned around in a blur, drew the swords, and plunged them through Shade Man's chest emblem: he groaned and stopped but did manage to sink his claws into Vadous' chest emblem: the thing began to frizzle and glow in varying colors.

"Damn." Vadous cursed.

"Heh, heh, heh… Let's die together… You mortal fool…!" Shade Man made a weak chuckle.

"Nope. I've got too much stuff to do. Here: keep this toy and try to figure out how to stop it now that you've broken five of the nine fail-safes it carries plus damaged the other four…" Vadous calmly replied with a hint of sarcasm.

His chest emblem detached and fell into the ground dragging the wounded Shade Man along: Vadous took his swords out and calmly waved his left hand.

"Dimensional Converter: Engage! No hard feelings, though. You attacked me from behind. I had to defend myself. And know that you were always a puppet to Nebula Grey, by the way. Whatever is left of you will rest in the Graveyard." Vadous announced.

"I-impossible…!" Shade Man muttered.

"Not impossible at all. If you'd just been patient, Delta would've given you the antibody program to "purge" you: I don't think he'll want to resurrect you given your foolish and reckless attitude. I'm sure you were planning on backstabbing all of them to suck their data off, anyway."

"You lowlife…! Laughing at the will of Nebula Grey – sama…!"

"That was the proof I needed: you "Darkloids" and Regal have been controlled by that thing from the very start."

"Gruh… Gra~h!"

Shade Man took the claws out of the device but it began to frizzle even more while streaks of random-colored energy jumped out of it: Vadous merely stood still as the "Dimensional Converter" finished ignition and warped him out of the roof: Shade Man tried to lift up but collapsed again due to his wound.

"… How foolish… How can you claim not to be "Dark" when you were born "Dark"…? That device… I see… The Eight Powers of the Universe… You have been trying to control "Chaos" itself… And contain it within this device which this vessel broke… But I am the "Lord of Chaos" to begin with so such claims are foolish… My "hatred"… The "Curse" of the "Demon Tribe"… Shall be eternally reincarnated eternally until the very end of the long-lasting Time… Do not forget it…! I shall repeat it…!" "Shade Man" muttered aloud.

He managed to sit on his knees while the device kept on frizzling and making terrific sounds: energy seemed to be building on it.

"… You beings… Those of you beings who hold the blood of "Light" and the "soul" of the "hero"… shall never be able to escape from this punishment…! This "hatred" and "grudge"… Its evolution shall continue to wriggle and wander along with you lowlifes in a blood-stained "Dark Sea" forever…!" "Shade Man" muttered.

He laughed aloud in an inhuman voice as the device began to generate a black sphere of energy which began to quickly expand and engulf more and more of the rooftop…

23:10 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Fuck."

Vadous was sitting on his command chair, having taken out the faceplate, and looking at what seemed to be live feed of the Nebula Factory building from a camera mounted at some distance from it.

"… Damn. That "Nebula Grey"…! It's cursed us forever and this is not a "magic curse"… Given how it's a program, it will change shape and form to control several parties which will keep on pursuing us for years…!" Vadous cursed aloud.

A black sphere of energy began to form on the roof and quickly expanded until it encompassed a good deal of the upper floor: it suddenly collapsed into itself and the resulting explosion wiped out the whole roof and half of the building: the camera suddenly frizzled and stopped working altogether as well but the same inhuman laughter rang out through the speakers of the command console: Vadous made a grimace and looked nervous upon hearing it echo from several spots at the same time.

"What the…?" He cursed.

The laughter died down as quickly as it had begun: the feed returned to show how the upper half of the building was simply "missing" without any trace of blunt destruction like any normal explosion would have provoked upon it: it looked like it hadn't been built to begin with: a purple enigmatic fog lingered around the remains.

"I see. The implosion tore the Time-Space and "warped" the missing part of the HQ into a "parallel" Time-Space which most likely will be composed of "Dark Matter" and unstable particle physics elements… Anyway… Point taken: Neo Nebula won't be the last of our preoccupations this year, it'd rather seem." Vadous deduced aloud.

He sighed and closed his eyes while looking away from the screen.

_The "Curse of the Demon Tribe"… That thing hit the mark in there. I'm sure my status will keep on chasing me for the months to come. But I will do my best to gain everyone's trust… This is far from over!_


	31. Chapter 31: Neo Nebula plays dirty

**Chapter 31: Neo Nebula plays dirty**

09:05 AM (Japan Time), Sunday June the 19th…

"… Netto – kun! Wake up! Quick! You HAVE to see this!"

"Hmmm?"

"Hurry!"

"What…?"

Netto slowly woke up when he felt someone shaking his body: he sat up and yawned, but, before he could react, Saito dragged him out of the bed by pulling his right arm and ran downstairs with him into the living room: he made him seat on the sofa.

"W-what's the rush? It's just 9 in the morning!" Netto yawned.

"Look!" Saito signaled the TV.

"What in the world…!"

"THAT's what I was so nervous about."

"I-incredible… But just how…?"

Netto's jaw hit the floor when he saw live helicopter footage of what was left of Nebula HQ: all of the rooms could be clearly seen as well as the walls, columns, wiring and piping. The purple fog had vanished and it now looked "clean" except for the amount of dust being flown off by the winds around the area.

"W-when did this happen?"

"At some time yesterday night… A surveillance camera close by caught it up… Look: they're going to play the footage again." Saito replied.

Netto's jaw kept on being totally open as he saw how the implosion took place and the inhuman laughter rang out when the screen was filled with static: it seemed to give out a feeling of dread and terror to all who heard it echo in every corner of the space: both gasped and looked around in a nervous manner before it died down.

"Man. That's gotta be the scariest laughter I've heard in my life… This makes _anime_ characters' laughter seem pale in comparison." Netto muttered with a hint of fear.

"Yeah… Say… Do you think that this footage has something to do with Vadous – san? He did tell us he'd researched into particle physics… Should we try calling him?" Saito suggested.

"S-sure…" Netto gulped.

Saito picked Netto's Link PET and rang a number: Vadous quickly appeared onscreen while rubbing his eyes and looking like he'd just woken up to reply to the call.

"Yeah? What's up?" He asked.

"W-we are sorry! We woke you up in a rude manner, Vadous – san… We will call later…!" Saito gulped.

"Stop the carriage, will ya? If you've seen the news, then the one to blame for that is Shade Man." Vadous yawned.

"Shade Man did that?" Netto asked.

"Well… Truth is… The guy revolted and lured me there. I gave him a quick beating but Nebula Grey didn't have enough, so… He tried to attack me from behind, and, when I tried to counter, I had to defend myself with the swords. But the guy hit my energy output device and made it malfunction, so… I had to toss it there and leave before it went out of control… But now Nebula Grey has gained a level of "consciousness" enough to speak through Shade Man and casted a "curse of the Demon Tribe" on us: basically, more problems will keep on popping out even if we take Neo Nebula down: they will vary in scale, but the thing will make sure they show up around us." Vadous explained.

"Whoa. And what happened to the upper floors?" Saito asked.

"Strictly speaking, they're still there. But their whole atomic structure lies in a "parallel" Time-Space out of perception by normal humans… A Navi could tell it, but a human not."

"But… Just how can those upper floors "float" in the middle of nowhere, then?" Netto frowned.

"No, no. You didn't get it right. The "upper floors" per se _are still there_ but their _atomic structure_ isn't, so they aren't "visible" or "material"… Their atomic structure simply moved elsewhere. I'm sure that if one could visit the "parallel" Time - Space they would find that its environment would be similar to "our" Time - Space… Say, it would feel "bright" instead of "gloomy"… Everything is duplicated there, except for persons. Inanimate objects tend to be replicated and don't ask me _why_: I dunno it myself even though I've been researching into it for 3 years. Guess it's one of those mysteries in life which are left unanswered…" Vadous corrected.

"Oh. We see. Whoa." Both looked surprised.

"Sorry if I overloaded you with my rambling… I barely realize what I talk about when I wake up right in the morning." Vadous yawned.

"Yo! _Danna_! Wanna rumble and shake? Dragon is serving "curry a la Confucius" for breakfast!" Omega suddenly called out off-screen.

"… "Curry a la Confucius"…? Don't tell me he burnt it again."

"Nope. He's added cannelloni sauce to them." Omega grinned.

"What the heck is he doing lately? Burn the curry, read Confucius, come up with weird recipes… Does he even know which day is it today or what he's supposed to do anymore?" Vadous sounded exasperated.

"Guess only Confucius knows the answer…" Omega chuckled.

"Jeez. Guess Sigma will have to scare the guts outta him again to snap him outta his "Nirvanha"…" Vadous muttered.

"Sure. I'll ring him up. You can count on him fixing the mess in the next 66 minutes. Heh, heh, heh." Omega sounded amused.

"I get the irony." Vadous grumbled.

"But Mr. "Dutch" doesn't seem to." Omega countered.

Vadous rolled his eyes while the twins made uneasy giggles…

09:13 AM (Japan Time)…

"… What? Shade Man isn't in his capsule? He didn't relieve you after his shift and you didn't wake up until 13 minutes ago? What the heck happened tonight?"

"I do not know, sir… I tried using the tracer but I got a worrisome response… "Tracer program non-existent"…"

"What the… He discarded it?"

"No, sir… It's more like he'd been… deleted, sir."

"Fan-tas-tic!"

Delta was speaking with Cosmo Man and he didn't seem to like the news at all: in fact, a twitch of annoyance formed over his right eye and Cosmo Man gulped.

"Did ya catch it, Yami – kun?" Delta asked.

"Yeah… I suspect he went after that guy who humiliated him last time around, that "Vadous" guy…" Yami muttered.

"I do think he must've tried to kill "Vadous" given how his attitude last time around was to weaken us and allow us to come back. Maybe he was forced to act out of self-defense, sir." Cosmo Man suggested.

"Sure. And it turned out that I didn't have any copies of his data. So we've now lost him _forever_. What a fool! I bothered to resurrect him and that's how he thanks me?" Delta rolled his eyes.

"There are some ungrateful guys who don't appreciate things out there, I've heard…" Yami ventured.

"Of course there are. Anyway… Yami – kun. Give me the new program we've been working on."

"Roger, _Danna_."

A data cube appeared on the ground and Delta picked it up: his mood seemed to improve.

"Listen. We've designed a new system to prevent infections by bugs like those of "Gospel Jr." and I need to install it into you guys… Return into the capsule and I'll take care of executing it: the process shouldn't take even an hour." Delta instructed.

"Roger, sir."

Cosmo Man saluted and stepped into his capsule, which closed: Delta then looked around and made sure there was no – one else looking: he picked some wires and connected them to ports in the cube with the other end being linked to the devices atop each capsule.

"Good. Begin decompression." He commanded.

"Roger. Decompression: start." Yami confirmed.

"How much time does it need?"

"About 12 to 15 minutes…" Yami trailed off.

"Fine."

"… Yami – kun? Are you awake?" Dr. Regal suddenly called out as he knocked into Yami's door.

"Eh… Yes, sir! Please wait a minute: I'm still getting dressed up, sir. I'll be in the main room ASAP, sir!" Yami quickly replied.

"Good. I just got important news."

"Roger, sir."

They heard his footsteps walking away and Yami suddenly picked the PET III and held it on his right hand over his head: he headed towards the sink and aimed at the mirror so that Delta could look at his body while he was dressed in just the boxers and the socks: Delta actually blushed and looked elsewhere.

"Heh, heh. Operation: Tease is a success."

"Jeez! Yami – kun! We talked about it, didn't we?" Delta complained.

"Ya are too timid!" Yami laughed.

09:17 AM (Japan Time)…

"… You called, sir?"

"I did: look at that."

"By all the…!"

"Is that…?"

"My old "Dark Chip" Factory, correct…"

"Or should we say _what is left of it_ instead, Dr. Regal - sama?"

Yami and Delta were left astounded when they saw the footage of the surveillance camera followed by the laughter.

"That voice… Doesn't it sound somewhat similar to Nebula Grey's deep roars?" Yami suggested.

"I thought of that. But it can't be: it's gone already." Dr. Regal calmly replied.

"That looked more like an _implosion_ than an _explosion_… It reminded me of a collapsing mass of energy similar to how stars die…" Laser Man commented aloud.

"Yeah… But that implosion was totally weird. I mean… Look at the cutting: it's neat and smooth! Any other phenomena would've left it jagged, broken and left a mess, yet…" Delta looked excited.

"I guess Shade Man was the catalyst for this." Yami deduced.

"Shade Man was?"

"He ran away yesterday night and his tracer doesn't exist anymore: so it's highly probable that he was deleted."

"Hum. I see. And that "Vadous" man would be the one who caused the implosion, yet… I do think that if he knew how to handle such energies, he would not unleash them like that. Maybe Shade Man damaged the device and this is what caused this phenomenon… I guess there's an explanation for that "smoothness" as well…" Dr. Regal muttered.

"I'm sure the Hikari Brothers know _something_ about this. If there was a way of forcing their hand, then… We might get some answers. The only question I have is if they know who my parents are or why was I alone when Delta approached me." Yami muttered.

"Yeah. It's not like I want to remember anything else I may have done in the past, though. That's dead and buried. No. What I would want to figure out is how exactly things are working here. I mean… How are those "Committee" people linked with this? That's the answer I'd like to find out, but… The only things I could find were scarce rumors." Delta muttered while seemingly being in thought.

"Force their hands... Hmmm… We'd need something to really draw them into our reach… But it can't be mere information or gossips. I'd rather pick a physical person… Someone connected to them, but, at the same time, not under heavy protection by those repulsive "Committee" agents… That would work." Dr. Regal smiled as he rubbed his beard.

"Then we should try to research into it." Yami guessed.

"By the way! Yami – kun… One question… If you _did_ find out whom your parents were… What would you do?"

"Eh… I'd just want to send them a message like proving I'm alive, I can't stay where I am, but all will be explained over time. I'd be satisfied with that, really." Yami admitted.

"Yeah… I'll stick around Yami – kun no matter what: I'm his personal Net Navi, after all." Delta confirmed.

"Good. Then let's focus on our strategy. I'm count on you to look up the info and think up the details." Dr. Regal told him.

"Roger. Ah. But we should have some breakfast first, shouldn't we? My stomach is rumbling." Yami suggested.

"True. One does not begin the day sans nutrition. We have the whole day to think about how we do it, anyway." Dr. Regal shrugged.

He grinned while Yami looked nervous…

19:58 PM (Japan Time) …

"… Jeez."

Yami, sporting his _ninja_ disguise, crept across some streets until he reached an inn building easily recognizable thanks to its traditional structure: he spotted their wagon car parked close by with the lights off but the engine running.

_The way out is secured… Sorry for this, but it's the only way we'll ever get the answers we need…_

Yami climbed up into the first floor and pushed one window open to reveal a bedroom: he quickly hid behind the blue wool curtains and dared a glance into the room.

_Nobody noticed anything…_

The room was simple: it had a single bed, a small desk which had a Link PET set on its charger, and an adjacent bathroom: someone was occupying the bed but its face couldn't be seen given the unlit state of the room.

_How lucky that the guy happened to be staying at just 2 hours' drive from our refuge…! Guess it's to be expected from a naturalist… They always go out of the metropolis as soon as they can. No bad feelings, really, but I'm somewhat anxious. I'd like to settle this once and for all._

He rummaged into a backpack and took out a plastic bottle of something plus a handkerchief: he unlocked the bottle, soaked the handkerchief with some drops and then sealed it up with cello tape: he stored the bottle and then headed for the person.

_As I said… No hard feelings._

He pressed the handkerchief against the person's mouth: the person woke up and tried to pull the arm out by gripping it but it soon lost strength and fell unconscious: Yami picked the person (which didn't seem to be very tall) and carried it over his right shoulder.

_Let's get this guy into the car and scram. _

08:33 AM (Japan Time), Monday June the 20th…

"… Anyone, desu! Please help! Desu! Hello! Please help! Desu! Trouble, desu!"

Saito began to blink and mumbled something under his breath as he sat up on his bed and stretched: he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Saito – san, desu! Please help! Desu!"

Saito climbed out of the bed and picked his Link PET: he managed to recognize Ice Man being onscreen: he looked panicked and was waving his arms up and down.

"Ice Man…? What's up…? Weren't you in Fukushima Prefecture…? And it's only 8:36 AM..." Saito yawned.

"It's about Toru – kun, desu!"

"Did he have an accident?" Saito asked.

"No, desu! He isn't in the inn, desu!"

"He surely went for an early morning walk…"

"It can't be! Desu! His clothes for today were left on his chair, desu! He's still on his pajamas, desu!"

"What…? I don't think him being somnambular and ending up in an empty room thinking it was his…" Saito muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

"No, desu! I asked everywhere, desu, but no-one had seen him! I'm very worried, desu!" Ice Man exclaimed.

"Let's see… He's on his pajamas and wasn't inside of the inn… Well, I dunno where he went to, then…" Saito looked puzzled.

"I'm not sure, but… Maybe someone took him away, desu?"

"Take him away, you say…? A kidnapper…? Wait a min… Fukushima Prefecture… Where were you staying over at?"

"Eh… Inawishiro City, desu…"

"Then…! I see…! Neo Nebula's work…!"

"Neo Nebula, desu…!" Ice Man gasped.

"Yeah… Their refuge is about two hours from there, according to the information we have on it. They must wanna force us to come into their reach to get some answers." Saito deduced.

"Crap." Netto muttered as he sat up on the bed.

"Netto – kun… Ice Man's yells woke you up?"

"Yeah… I felt nervous for some reason or another… What do we do, Saito – niisan?" Netto asked.

"Ain't it obvious? We're going there. But we'll have backup: I'm sure this was Regal's idea to try to find out what happened back in December. And Yami must wish some answers regarding his "parents", so… Maybe they'll just let us go after we finish explaining. If not… The backup will butt in and catch them." Saito suggested.

"Good. I like that plan better. Ice Man. Tell Hikawa – san that we'll definitely rescue Toru – kun no matter what it takes us." Netto smiled at him.

"I believe in you, desu!"

Ice Man exited the Link PET while both quickly washed up their faces and dressed up: they arranged the room and then Saito picked his Link PET again to write an email.

"I don't wanna risk waking Vadous – san again so I'll send an email. This could end today. There's no need for this to continue." Saito decided.

"Yeah… But… I get the feeling like it won't be so easy… And even if we got to beat those, more problems could show up…" Netto trailed off.

"Funny… I was getting the same feeling…"

"Maybe we're imaging things too much…"

An air of dread seemed to linger around them…


	32. Chapter 32: Half truths

**Chapter 32: Half-truths**

08:44 AM (Japan Time), Monday June the 20th…

"… Ah! Where… am I…?"

Tooru suddenly woke up and looked around: he was resting in the lower bed of a bunk bed inside of an unknown room: he only had his brownish pajamas on.

"Wait… Yesterday night… That strong smell…! Someone has actually abducted me? Jeez! This is the 3rd time already! Why do they always pick me, anyway?" He grumbled.

"My bad. The Doc's orders, ya see, Hikawa."

Tooru gasped and looked at the upper bed: Yami was already dressed up and looking at the ceiling.

"W-who are you?" He asked.

"Man… I was in Maha Ichiban's three days ago and you've already forgotten me? Well! Not like ya saw me, anyway…"

"Wait a min…! Doc… Doctor… Dr. Regal, you mean? Then you're Hikarawa Yami – kun!" Tooru gasped.

"Funny. Up until now only Delta and the Doc used the honorific on me. I didn't think any of ya guys would."

"What do you want out of me?"

"Some answers, ya see."

"And I'm bait, too, right?"

"Catchin' up? Yeah. The Doc's brilliant idea to draw the Hikari Brothers into the picture is this." Yami shrugged.

"What "answers" do you seek?"

"Oh? You might know them?"

"Some of them."

"Ya sound like a cop." Yami joked.

"Very funny! Where are my clothes?" Tooru moaned.

"Sorry. Left them at the inn… But ya can have my spare clothes. Hey. I cleansed them yesterday, so… Don't look at me like that."

Tooru merely picked the clothes and headed into the bathroom to get changed: he made sure to lock the door while Yami didn't bother to move from his position.

"Well… Maybe we can get some info from him and it wouldn't have been necessary to involve the Hikari Brothers… Oi! Delta. Did the antibody program installation succeed?"

"Yeah. They didn't feel anything different. Their HP and battle strength are at max, too, so…" Delta whispered.

"Good work. Now we can make sure that blasted monster can't control them anymore. Let it control Laser Man and blow up a M1 Abrahams Tank with Vulcan Raven inside." Yami sarcastically muttered.

"How far did you see of _MGS2_, anyway?"

"Fat Man Chapter… Really… The guy is nuts. Using cologne on the bombs as his signature? He's gotta have a complex. Luckily, that makes his bombs easy to locate using a detector. And something tells me that Raiden guy is part of a larger plot like how Snake was manipulated in _MGS1_." Yami replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing… You know the motto "history repeats itself"… If I could bet, I'd stake 100 Zenny on it." Delta shrugged.

Tooru came out of the restroom at that moment while being dressed in a black sleeveless t-shirt, jeans, black socks and black sneakers.

"Didn't you have anything which wasn't black?" He asked.

"Sorry. Black is my favorite color, ya see. It reflects how pretty much everything in my life is tainted like that."

"Whatever. What are the questions?"

"Come with me: we'll have a little breakfast and then talk about that with the Doc." Yami replied as he dropped down from the bed.

He put on his sneakers as well and picked the PET III: Tooru lifted his eyebrows upon seeing it but made no comment as Yami opened the room's door.

"After you, Admiral." He joked.

Tooru put up an unimpressed face and walked out: Yami then closed the door behind him and they headed west for about two to three minutes until they entered the command room: Dr. Regal was sitting on the left side of the table.

"Good morning, young one. I suppose you slept well?" He greeted with an evil smile.

"… Maybe so." He dully replied.

"He thinks he's a lawyer." Yami joked.

"Intriguing."

"I am not a lawyer, sir, and I do not pretend to be!" Tooru protested.

"Take a seat."

Tooru dropped down in one chair while Yami headed into an adjacent room: he soon came out with some chocolate-filled cookies, a jar of water and glasses set on a tray: he deposited it on the table and then brought some descartable dishes.

"Sorry if there isn't fresh bread. We didn't want to call the attention of the villagers." Yami apologized.

"Fine." Tooru merely replied.

"_Bon appétit_."

They ate the meal in silence while Tooru discreetly looked around: he glanced at the LCD screen where Cosmo Man, Cloud Man and Blizzard Man were talking about something.

"… Really…! Shade Man went and got himself so foolishly deleted… And look what he triggered, too! The man just wanted to let him come back but he had to get a "vengeance" mood…" Cloud Man was saying.

"He should've cooled off at Mt. Everest." Blizzard Man shrugged.

"Maybe so." Cosmo Man dully replied.

"Now, now… I hope we're not trying to start a fight." DS Blues told them as he walked over to them.

"Of course not, DS Blues… We're just arguing how odd Shade Man's behavior was…" Blizzard Man replied.

"Whatever. That's past stuff, anyway." Cloud Man shrugged.

"True. Let's focus on what we're going to do from now onwards, should we?" Cosmo Man suggested.

"Yeah. Guess we have to." DS Blues sighed.

"Don't be so defeatist, you guys… We'll find a way around." Delta tried to encourage them.

"Roger, sir!"

"Well then… What do ya know?" Yami asked Tooru as he looked at his right and lifted his eyebrows.

"If you mean your past, then I've been told fragments of it…"

"Good."

"To begin with… I _don't_ know who your parents are. I just know that you were a Japanese living somewhere in Ameroupe."

"In Ameroupe? Weird. My English is horrible." Yami looked surprised.

"I heard that it was a Japanese residential district close to some Choina Town or another…"

"Ah. Then it makes sense… But how did I end up in Japan if I don't have a passport?" Yami asked him.

"That's because, some time ago, some people abducted you and other skilled Japanese Net Battlers to force them into a secret program to "breed" a lot of "Elite" Net Battlers who could ensure Ameroupe's network supremacy…" Tooru sighed.

"WHAT?" Yami stood up violently and looked enraged.

"Yeah. I know it's shocking, but… It's the truth."

"That explains a lot! And let me guess: I ditched them when they tried to force me into a field mission here in Japan, right?"

"Yeah. You accidentally fell inside of a ventilation shaft of a bunker and Delta found you there. He then planned to make of you his "crime partner" and so began to stir up your rage and anger for his profits. He began to make you walk a road of no return and planned to "climax" it by killing my friends." Tooru explained while sounding terrified.

"I did remember part of that. But I don't want to be like that again. So, what happened back then? Did that "Vadous" man come and halt us before we could do it?" Yami deduced.

"Correct. He somehow made it there in the nick of time and captured you two to then "purge" you… Hence why your memories were deleted and replaced for others… Delta had already bought that apartment in Nagoya, so he decided to allow you to live there as a "rebellious" boy but under "Committee" surveillance…"

"Then I guess I should thank him if I ever get to see him. He stopped me before I did the vilest of crimes…" Yami sighed in relief.

"I really don't know who the "conspirators" which abducted you are, but they seem to be part of a secret Army program which has been around for some years given how Japan seems to be at the peak of Network technology nowadays…" Tooru admitted.

"Haven't those "Committee" guys tried to find my parents?"

"They did! But those guys seemingly managed to destroy all evidence. All investigations by the Interpol were in vain, too."

"Why?"

"Well… The info on you was too vague. They tried distributing your photo but no one seemed to recognize you. Maybe they even went to the extreme of altering something on you… There are rumors which say they know how to genetically alter someone's face…"

"Where have I heard something like that before…? Oh. _Die Another Day_, the 20th Bond Movie… There was a Cuban clinic in which a DNA treatment was used to change someone's appearance and DNA to make them impossible to identify again…" Yami muttered.

"Well… Maybe it's something like that…"

"Could be… The Z – Nation was interested in developing that, too, but I'm afraid they got stuck at it and the project was dropped in favor of something more practical and cost-effective…" Dr. Regal suddenly commented.

"Good. By the way… Do you know why Dr. Regal doesn't acknowledge having created Delta?"

"Because Delta and DS Blues were just two amongst the tens of Navis who were infected by "Dark Power" without realizing… Dr. Regal activated it but their body defenses were too high for them to possess them and their data was quarantined and expelled: they copied enough, though, to gain frames of their own, and they then headed for the "Nebula Hole Area" to respond to the summoning of Nebula Grey…"

"Ah… So that's how it was!" Delta muttered.

"Regrettably, I have no memories of that time, Delta – sama." DS Blues bowed behind him.

"It doesn't matter… That's because I couldn't find the data for them. I rebuilt you using Blues' backup data as a base but then making sure to modify it to mark the difference." Delta replied to him.

"I understand, sir."

"Hmmm?"

Dr. Regal suddenly took out his PET III and looked at something: a smile formed on his face.

"Oho… The perimeter sensors have been triggered. Our guests are out there and they seem to be waiting for someone to pick them up. Yami – kun… Pick the rope and blindfolds I prepared plus the fake guns. We may need to "convince" them to come inside." Dr. Regal commanded.

"Eh… I should immobilize their wrists and make sure they don't know the way through the West Entry…?" Yami asked.

"Take Delta with you: use a Copy Roid."

"Eh… Roger."

"Don't worry about this fine young man… He'll simply wait there until his companions come in."

"R-roger… Eh… I'll go pick the stuff." Yami replied.

"And don't forget the "Copy Roid", either."

"I know."

Yami headed out through the west door while Dr. Regal calmly pocketed his PET III: Tooru looked at the ceiling.

"… They didn't come alone, obviously enough… There must be someone waiting out of the perimeters sensors' range to break in through both entrances… Well. I have insurance…" Dr. Regal muttered as he formed an evil smile.

_Crap. He plans on using us to threaten the backup teams so that they won't break in and quickly catch him. Lovely. How worse can this day turn, anyway? I hate lying, but I was told that this "truth" was necessary because it'd fit with Yami – kun's expectations and reflections regarding his earlier life…_

"Heh, heh, heh. I can feel it, young man. An unimaginable fear is crawling into you…" Dr. Regal chuckled.

Tooru merely remained silent while Dr. Regal looked amused…

09:27 AM (Japan Time)…

"… This has gotta be the place."

"And something tells me there'll be a welcoming party."

Netto and Saito were standing in a clearing inside of some woods while looking around: there was no trail of any path nearby and the forest became denser starting at this point: there was not a cloud to be seen in the sky and a bright sun illuminated the clearing: a soft and cool wind also blew through the area, stirring leaves, bushes and grass.

"Well, well, well… We finally meet."

"Sorry for this."

They both gasped as Yami and Delta came out of the forest from the NNE direction: Yami held a gun on his right hand and he carried some rope and white wool blindfold: Delta also carried the gun, rope and blindfold.

"Hikarawa Yami…!" Netto made a grimace.

"Oi, oi… I can understand that you could hate me back then, but… I'm a new person." Yami protested.

"Yeah. We've even purged the Darkloids of the "Dark Power" using my own antibodies. This is the Doc's idea." Delta replied.

"Ah. We suspected it would happen." Netto muttered.

"Yeah. Everything is going like it'd been calculated." Saito muttered.

"Then I'm glad to hear that. Your friend is waiting, but, regrettably enough, I have to immobilize your wrists and place these blindfolds on you… Else, the Doc wouldn't let you guys inside. Sorry for this. No hard feelings, really." Yami apologized.

"This stuff is a fake, anyway. It's mere plastic without any real ammunition at all." Delta admitted.

"Fine." Netto shrugged.

"Let's get this over with." Saito also shrugged.

They both turned around and placed their writs behind their bodies: Yami and Delta holstered the fake guns and immobilized them although they purposely forgot one or two knots to make them easy to loosen: they then added the blindfolds.

"Head towards the direction we came from. I take point and Delta is the rear… Look: I'm just staying on this stuff to see how it evolves. If the thing seems to sink, then I'm switching." Yami whispered.

"I guess Vadous – san would like that outcome." Netto replied.

"Yeah. He's calculated it, too." Saito calmly let out.

"Good. Listen: we wanna break apart with our past. We want to fulfill this "last chance" we have. Gotcha?" Delta whispered.

They began to march forward through the forest and soon reached a small descending ramp which led to an armored door: Yami punched an access code on a panel to unlock it.

"Good. Just act along because your friend already gave us two enough details… The Doc will be hard to satisfy, though, so don't get confident of the guy at all." Yami whispered.

"He can get menacing when he wants to…!" Delta warned.

Both merely nodded in understanding and followed Yami through some corridors and rooms until they stopped.

"This is the place."

Yami and Delta loosened the ropes and took out the blindfolds: he then signal the seats at Tooru's right and left while he and Delta sat down on the seats place at Dr. Regal's side: they remained silent for some seconds before Dr. Regal cleared his throat.

"So! We meet again. It's been… Half a year? Time sure flies by when one is busy..." Dr. Regal looked amused.

"Yeah. Sure does." Netto calmly replied.

"Fire away." Saito challenged.

"Good. What happened on that December night when you, Hikari Saito, grabbed your head like you were in pain and I was then knocked out? Was there something too important for me to see?" Dr. Regal questioned.

"Not really. The "Dark Power" tried to corrupt my chip implant. The defense system kicked on and the clash provoked a terrible pain inside of my skull. The reason they knocked you out was because you needed to be like that so that the Officials could come arrest you." Saito calmly replied to him.

"Hmmm… And Delta was formed in the Science Labs, then?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" Netto asked back.

"There was no imagery."

"It was deleted for safety reasons… We didn't want anyone learning about Rock Man being there." Saito replied.

"Did you bring Rock Man?"

"Why should we? We came in a rush. The guy had a scheduled revision at the Science Labs. But if you want him so badly, then go ahead and try to force your way into the Science Labs." Netto challenged.

"I'm not falling for that trap twice." Dr. Regal grumbled.

"Don't blame us: the "Subspace" came up with it." Saito shrugged.

"What's their role on this?"

"Simple! They wanna help keep grunts under a certain degree of control by cornering them into one spot and severing their options." Netto simply replied.

"Hmmm… That sounds very simplistic."

"We aren't privy to details." Saito shrugged yet again.

"I can consider that. Yet… What happened with Shade Man and the Nebula Factory?"

"That's… a bit complicated to explain." Netto sighed.

"To simplify it: the upper section "strictly speaking" is still there yet its atomic structure had been shifted so that it's sort of become invisible. If you tried to walk into the building and climb up what's left of the stairs, you would "float" in the middle of the air because, physically speaking, you would be standing in the "ground"… Very complicated stuff… But Shade Man is to blame: he damaged a device Vadous – san carried and, to avoid any victims, he let it detonate there." Saito explained.

"Impressive!" Yami gasped in awe.

"Yeah… Looks like something taken outta _Star Wars_, even…" Delta muttered aloud.

"Hum! So that's how it is… Fine. We're getting closer to wrapping this affair up… So, what makes Rock Man so "powerful", then?"

"What makes him powerful is his cooperation with me. And he fights because he has no other way around 90% of the times: he just tries to stay alive and uses all of his hidden potential. Papa wanted him to be the prototype for a new kind of Navi who could grow in power based upon its experiences." Netto told them.

"Hmmm… Should've seen it coming, then…"

"Is that all?" Saito asked.

"Not yet… Just another two or three questions…"

"Shoot 'em out." Netto looked unimpressed.

"Do you think we're over?"

"Dunno. For the time being, you guys are easy to counter, so… It's up to the "Committee" and Vadous – san." Saito dully replied.

"… Fine. We'll settle it at this. Take your friend back. Yami – kun will guide you like before. Oh! Before I forget…"

Dr. Regal suddenly whispered something on Yami's right ear and he slowly nodded in understanding: Delta looked somewhat nervous and Yami didn't seem to totally like what he'd said.

"Eh… Sorry for this, but…" Yami slowly called out.

The three "guests" merely stood up and didn't move: Yami and Delta immobilized their wrists although they did purposely miss two knots to make the ropes easy to loosen: they added the blindfolds as well.

"O. K… Delta… Take point…" Yami instructed.

"… Roger."

"Enjoy your trip back…" Dr. Regal muttered.

The group of five began to march out: Delta led the way, and behind him were Saito, Netto, Tooru, and, lastly Yami.

_Phew. We managed to escape unscratched from this one._ Netto mentally sighed in relief.

_It's not over yet. Until Denpa – san picks us up then we can't consider ourselves to be outta trouble._

"… Can you drop me at the town?" Tooru asked Netto in a whisper.

"Sure… Ice Man must be sick worried by now and so must your parents, so… No problem." Netto whispered back.

"Just calm down." Saito instructed.

They stepped into a room but they suddenly heard something hitting the floor with a THUD sound followed by two armored doors slamming shut: a smell began to fill the air.

"That smell is…! Yesterday…!" Tooru gasped.

"C-can't be…!" Netto muttered.

"C-chloroform…! Regal…! He wants to use us as deterrents and forced them to obey under some threat or another…!" Saito cursed.

"O-oi! Backup team…! Come in…! Quick…!" Netto whispered.

"W-what?" Tooru asked.

They suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed into the floor…

09:49 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Sir Omega! Did you hear it, sir?"

"Roger, Blood! Go in!"

"Come at full power!"

Sigma and Blood Shadow ran across the forest and soon found the armored door which signaled the West Entry: it was locked but Blood placed the barrels of his shotgun on the upper hinges.

"Charged shotgun shot!"

The neat plasma shot immediately melted the hinges and the door's weight dragged it into the ground with a loud metallic CLANG sound: both ran inside and quickly kicked all doors open: they soon spotted a small square concrete room with two doors.

"That must the trick room… Given how it's still saturated with chloroform, they must've taken them outta there barely three minutes ago." Blood deduced.

"Che. Let's hurry!"

They rammed the command room's door into the ground at the same time Omega rushed in.

"What?" They gasped.

"Impossible!" Omega hissed.

"There's gotta be a trick!" Sigma cursed.

"That wall reeks of hidden elevator for me!" Blood Shadow exclaimed as he looked at the west wall.

"Leave it up to me! Hra~h!"

Sigma used his sword to force the doors to open slightly (by using the sword as a puller) before he gripped them and, with extraordinary strength, forced them into the sides, fully opening the entrance and exposing the elevator shaft.

"Go!"

They jumped down it and landed on the ceiling of the elevator: they broke through the ceiling and ran off into the tunnel.

"A tunnel…! They had a car! Regal! I'm sure this is his "bright idea" 'cause Hikarawa must not feel motivated enough to keep at this." Blood grumbled.

"Yeah… Sigma! Return upwards and report to Boss. We're trying to see if we can pick up their tire marks." Omega commanded.

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Let's go, Blood!"

"Roger, sir!"

The two of them began tracking the obvious tire marks while Blood Shadow's shades glowed with a red light.

"I could pick up the tire pattern as well as their heat… No doubt… It hasn't been even five minutes ever since they ran off." Blood Shadow reported.

"Good. Maybe we can still catch up to them." Omega muttered.

They reached the tunnel's exit and continue along the secret road for another few minutes: a loud sound began to come from further forward and increase in volume.

"The only thing which could generate a sound over 120dB is… A plane's engine!" Blood Shadow gasped.

"Damn! Dash mode: start up! _Full speed_!" Omega hissed.

The soil of their boots began to emerge streams of white energy as both ran forward at a mad speed: they spotted a large hanger-like building plus a runway: the sound was slowly increasing.

"Crap! It's already at the end of the runway and ready for takeoff by now!"

"Rega~l!" Omega hissed.

The obvious sound of the plane flying out rang out as both broke into the hanger and looked east to spot the trail of heat left behind by the plane after it'd taken off.

"Worst case scenario: they run low in fuel and have to land somewhere to refuel… We board it using "Dimensional Converters" and rescue them while letting the cops catch Regal." Omega cursed.

"Eh… Sir Omega… I am afraid that won't come to happen, sir."

"What?"

"Please look at that, sir."

Omega looked at the north wall and formed a grimace upon seeing a large poster of the plane plus a banner above it:

"REVOLUTIONARY SUPER ENERGY ENGINE PLANE COMPLETED"

"Damn! Shit! Like this… Super energy can last for as long as 24 hours sans refueling…! And the refueling is just replacing spent batteries by others… It could stay a _whole week _airborne, even!" He cursed.

"And I don't dare trying to trap it on one of our "gravity wells" from orbit, either…" Vadous muttered over the radio.

"Guess Hikawara and Delta will try gaining their support to wrestle control from Regal and Laser Man: after all, the Darkloids will only obey Delta, so…" Blood Shadow suggested.

"Can't be helped… But that sounds like a highly probable scenario. Let's hope it happens this way: it'll be better for everyone."

"Che! Bothersome Regal…!" Sigma grumbled over the radio.

"Pull out, all of you. The rest is up to them." Vadous commanded.

"Roger, Boss." Omega sighed.

"Guys… You can do it!" Blood Shadow muttered.

Both he and Omega stepped into the runway and looked towards the diminishing dot the plane was becoming…


	33. Chapter 33: Prelude to a mutiny

**Chapter 33: Prelude to a mutiny**

11:58 AM (Japan Time), Monday June the 20th…

"… Ugh… Where is this…?"

"Grah… My head aches…"

"What in the… happened…?"

Netto, Saito and Tooru awoke to find themselves still blindfolded and with their wrists immobilized: the air felt slightly cold and there was noticeable humming sound echoing around them: the structure shook as well from time to time: they were sitting on the ground with their backs glued to a wall.

"This feels like a plane!" Netto grasped.

"And it doesn't seem to be an ordinary one, either… The hum of the engines is different…" Saito muttered.

"How can you tell, Saito – kun?" Tooru asked.

"My electronic brain can pick up sounds a normal human brain can't pick up, so…" Saito whispered.

"Huh? Wait… The ropes are not thoroughly knotted… Maybe we could loosen them?" Netto asked.

"It'd seem Yami – kun did it on purpose…" Tooru ventured.

"Sure thing. He's been forced to do this." Netto guessed.

"Regal doesn't wanna let go of his "usefulness" and needs them to control the Darkloids… They're too loyal to Delta by now if we take into account how they have those "Dark Power" antibodies into them."

They managed to loosen the ropes and removed their blindfolds to examine the environment: it was mainly unlit and devoid of objects except for a van strapped into place at the middle of the room.

"This must be the cargo hold… Military plane… Another sign of Regal's background…" Saito deduced.

"Oi, oi, oi! Saito – niisan! Don't tell me he plans on flying this thing to the Z – Nation…! That'd be trouble!" Netto gasped.

"I wouldn't discard that possibility, really. He seems ready to do anything and threaten Yami to tag along him." Saito grumbled.

"Chut! Don't you hear a noise?" Tooru gasped.

They paid attention and heard what sounded like someone hitting one of the van's walls from the inside: Netto quickly tried to unlock the sliding door but it didn't move: Saito checked the passenger and driver doors with no result either and Tooru tried the rear trunk door.

"No good… Locked from the inside…! I'm sure that one of them is inside: Regal must be suspecting their intentions of them abandoning him and he's locked them in the van to make sure no – one could ruins his petty plans…" Netto cursed.

"What do we do? I don't have Ice Man here!" Tooru muttered.

"I'm afraid it can't be helped since we didn't bother to bring "Coyed" along, either… Check out if there are any cameras." Saito told them.

Netto and Tooru quickly checked around and Tooru gasped as he found one high in the ceiling.

"How can we disable that?" Tooru asked.

"Hmmm… Maybe _this_ will do fine?"

Saito suddenly produced a small knife from inside of his right sleeve: he aimed it and tossed it at the camera thus stabbing it and disabling it: he giggled.

"I dunno how much Regal heard…" Netto muttered.

"That model is video-only." Saito relieved him.

"Where did you get that?" Tooru asked.

"I asked Denpa – san to let me use one for emergencies."

"Good. Now let's open that van."

Saito sat on the ground and closed his eyes: Rock Man then showed up inside of the Link PET and nodded to Netto.

"Let's go! Plug In! Rock Man EXE, Transmission!"

Rock Man entered the van's Cyber World and found it devoid of life: he quickly ran towards the control panel and tried to activate it: a holographic screen popped out.

"Hmmm… A password… Oh. Easy. Neo Nebula… Wrong? Nebula… Correct… Heh. As expected… He refuses to call this "Neo" Nebula anymore as if the original Nebula had never been dismantled…" Rock Man looked amused.

He returned into the Link PET, and, from there, into the body: Netto unlocked the door and found Yami lying on the floor of the van with his ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows and wrists immobilized with cello tape plus one over his mouth: Netto and the other two quickly ripped it and Yami coughed.

"Grah…! I was about to die there… The dust was clogging my nose and I could barely breathe…!" He cursed.

"That's why you should've ditched that guy already, Hikarawa…" Netto told him.

"I know! But he claimed that his "contacts" in the Z – Nation could easily find out who my parents were and kill them!" Yami cursed.

"Che! As expected… The jerk loves to play just like Wily. Like father, like son… Where's Delta?" Saito asked.

"Locked inside of my PET III… I'll try to unlock it." Yami replied as he rubbed his wrists.

He took out his PET III from the pouch and inputted some commands: he immediately cursed.

"Password-locked…!" He hissed.

"Try "Nebula"…" Tooru suggested.

"It worked! Regal's so predictable, really…!"

"Hmmm… Ah! Yami – kun! Are you alright?" Delta slowly woke up only to gasp.

"I'm fine. The guys gave me a hand. It was a good idea to loosen the ropes in purpose…" Yami sighed.

"… Huh? Rock Man was in the system and he unlocked the van! How could he…? So you _did_ bring him?" Delta realized.

"Yeah. We did." Netto replied.

"Explanations later… Let's try contacting Vadous – san."

He dialed the number and Vadous quickly showed up onscreen.

"Saito – kun! Thank goodness. Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah. Regal was holding Hikarawa and Delta hostage, too. He must be trying to monopolize the Darkloids…" Saito reported.

"I've got some info… That plane runs on super energy and it's designed to stay afloat for over 140 hours, refueling included… If all cells are used without replacing, it lasts 50 hours…" Vadous whispered.

"Yeah. Regal was talking about it a lot: he contributed to design this hence why he knew of its existence despite being classified "Need Not To Know" by the JSDF…" Yami explained.

"Hikarawa… So you're switching sides?" Vadous lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah. I've got no sympathy for a guy who blackmails others by threatening to harm their parents." Yami replied.

"Ah. So he's getting desperate again… His obsessions over "perfection" are leading him to self-destruct and he doesn't wanna sink alone, so he brought you guys as well." Vadous muttered.

"I rather wanna believe Nebula Grey staged for this." Delta grumbled.

"Yeah… Nebula Grey was the one which forced Shade Man to strike me and then delivered a speech to me through it…"

"I knew it: the thing was pulling the strings!" Yami growled.

"No use crying over spilled milk. Where in the plane are you?"

"The rearmost cargo holding bay… We're about to try to exit."

"I'd rather not. That plane has live weapons onboard. Regal could be armed and ready to shoot one of you. Barricade yourselves."

"One problem, though: we have no access to any supplies." Saito instructed.

"Don't worry: keep this call active and I'll send Omega over there through the satellite… He'll then help Delta reunite with the Darkloids and, together, it should be more than enough to wrestle control from Regal and land the plane…" Vadous explained.

"Wow. You've already come up with a strategy?" Yami whistled in surprise and looked surprised.

"Yeah. I never sit idle."

"Neither does the ODST Squad, Boss." Omega joked off-screen.

"Will you stop with the _Halo_ jokes already?"

"Will you stop with the curry jokes already?" Omega joked.

"Don't play "mirror": I know you way too well."

"They say you never really know someone's character in depth."

"Look: did you hear my strategy or not?"

"I obviously heard it. I'm just switching into the mood."

"Fine. Just try to seize a "Copy Roid" before Regal does."

"Roger. I'll deliver it in a box."

"In a box…?" Vadous frowned.

"_Copy Roid Segments_, 2010, Omega." Omega laughed.

"What the… Pop art?" Vadous looked skeptical.

"Ops. Blackbeard is waiting… See ya!"

"Oi! Wait! Don't destroy everything on your wake, get it?"

"I get the prize: curry with _carbonara_ sauce."

"Jeez! Move it!"

Omega seemingly ran out of the room while Vadous slapped his face in defeat: both Yami and Delta looked baffled.

"Sounds worse than Forte…" Yami muttered.

"Forte picked it from him to begin with." Vadous muttered.

"No wonder…" Delta lifted his eyebrows.

"Ah… And did the cook really mix _carbonara_ sauce and curry this time around?" Netto asked.

"Yeah. I dunno if Dragon thinks he's being "innovative" or what but what other chefs like Ferran Adrià do look more logical than his weird random mixes." Vadous rolled his eyes.

"Transferring to Jekyll's PET…" Omega reported.

"Jekyll…? Dr. Jekyll…?" Delta frowned.

"Ops." Omega muttered.

"Omega…! You're worse than a trending topic in Twitter!"

"Come on, Boss. You know Sigma is worse."

"Of course: until he learns not to overdo it and blow training drones up then he won't learn to hold back in training." Vadous fumed.

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde… Double personality… Double identity… Double identity…? Wait a min!" Delta muttered.

He looked at Saito who looked totally unimpressed: he simply lifted his eyebrows.

"So?"

"… Are you Rock Man?" He questioned.

"More or less."

"What do you mean, "more or less"…? Wait…! That isn't a "Copy Roid", now that I examine it…! It looks like a normal human body… Wait! That signal originating nearby you...?" Delta muttered while frowning.

"Sorry. I blew it up." Omega apologized as he showed up on Saito's Link PET.

"Don't mind it… Try to figure out what's going on."

"Roger, Grand Moff."

"Oi! That wasn't funny, Omega – san!"

"Cadet."

"That sounds better."

"Heh, heh. Cadet pending promotion, I'd rather say."

"Please… Could you tell Regal he's fired?"

"Delighted…"

Omega exited Saito's PET and they quickly heard a sound behind the door: the air became quiet.

"Picked a "Copy Roid" tossed here in a rushed manner… Guess it is Delta's: the latest user was him…" He reported in a hushed tone.

"You sound like Snake…" Yami grinned.

"Oho. No wonder… We're only missing Colonel Campbell to tell us what we should do…" Omega chuckled.

"Is the passenger area behind the door?" Tooru asked.

"Correct, Water Man." Omega joked.

"Please…" Tooru groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Heh, heh… Climbing towards the bridge…"

"How is it?" Delta asked.

"Locked, obviously enough… I'm gonna lock down this "Copy Roid" with one of my impossible-to-guess passwords… Heh, heh, heh. I'll try to patch you to the Darkloids if I find them…" Omega told them.

"Good. I doubt Regal being able of "brainwashing" them: I redesigned the capsules' OS to only allow for repairs. And the antibodies are now an integral part of their bodies: if he tries to forcibly remove them, then he won't be able to use the Darkloids." Delta looked satisfied.

"Pst!"

"You…!" DS Blues gasped.

"Quiet!" Delta commanded.

"Delta – sama…! What is going on, sir? We've closed ourselves in the lighting system because Dr. Regal was claiming to be our new "Commander Officer" because you had been "disabled" by a bug. Laser Man has been tried to force his way into the system but we've switched all passageways over to delay him, sir." DS Blues reported.

"That's a bold lie. He's locked me in my PET. The "Neo Nebula Pact" has been destroyed. We're enemies as of today." Delta told him.

"And this guy…?"

"He's lending us a hand to stop Regal. Listen, DS Blues. We were expecting this to happen sooner or later. Right now we only want to land this plane back in the ground. Then Regal gets arrested. We turn over, but we most likely will get a sentence in community hours."

"Which means…?" DS Blues asked.

"Easy. We do something which benefits people. We could become a new "Hunters' Guild" which hunts down organized crime groups over the Reverse Internet and the normal Internet. Would you follow me if I lead the initiative… out of your free will?"

"I am sorry?"

"I mean… Look: I'm no longer gonna be you guys' Boss. You will become independent. We'll share the same rank. The "Renegades" is over, too, as of today." Delta clarified.

"In any form… I shall follow you in any form." DS Blues replied.

"Fine. Did you three listen, too?"

"We did. And we understand the implications of it. We shall repair all inflicted damage and contribute to the Network Society." Cosmo Man calmly announced.

"We shall not commit large damage anymore to anyone else..." Cloud Man declared.

"Yeah! We'll go ski to Gunma."

"Can't you think of something else, Blizzard?" Cloud Man folded his arms and looked uninterested.

"Huh… Dunno." Blizzard Man muttered.

"We'll discuss that later. The problem now is seizing control: manual control has higher priority than automatic."

"Don't worry… I'll butt into the cabin and switch over to auto-pilot while I knock the guy out. I'll take care of the landing maneuver." Omega instructed them.

"Good. We'll buy time by fighting Laser Man: he can't hope to take down the three of us alone." Cosmo Man nodded in agreement.

"Go for it. I only need three to four minutes."

"Omega… Remember not to go overboard when wrestling with Regal for control of the plane..." Vadous reminded him.

"A butt knockout would do fine?" Omega grinned.

"Fine. But don't apply too much force, either. Set up your strength limiters."

"Roger, Vice Admiral."

"I give up…"

"Heh, heh, heh."

"Finally… We're going to end this…!" Netto muttered.

"The road to the conclusion…!" Saito looked nervous.

"What nerves…!" Tooru exclaimed.

"… Heh. This looks like the climax." Yami grinned.

"Yami – kun… This is serious." Delta reminded him.

"… As serious as that weird panorama inside of Ms. Moon, ya mean to say?" Yami teased.

"I give up, too." Delta sighed in defeat.

"No wonder…" Vadous sighed.

"I've entered the "Copy Roid"… All's ready."

"Good… Wait two minutes, break the lock and rush in: make sure that the first thing you do is set the auto-pilot which will ensure the current course is kept." Vadous detailed.

"O. K., Mr. Instructions Manual." Omega came up with another of his infamous nicknames.

"Jeez. This ain't the time for a Nickname War." Vadous scolded with a hint of annoyance.

"Maybe you need Dragon's new Coca – Cola and black tea mix to cool it down?" Omega suggested.

"No. And don't give the guy credit: that's worse."

"O. K… Cutting off contact now… Later!"

"Good luck…!" The five passengers muttered.

"Ready… Go!" Vadous commanded.

The critical moment was upon them…


	34. Chapter 34: Full truths

**Chapter 34: Full truths**

12:21 PM (Japan Time), Monday June the 20th…

"… You still can't get inside of the electrical system?"

"I shall not offer any apologies, but… They seem to have barricaded themselves there, Dr. Regal – sama."

"Che. Bothersome mice."

Dr. Regal looked annoyed as he heard to Laser Man's report: he was sitting on the left pilot's seat and didn't pay attention to the panorama spread out from the front windows.

"Aren't there any other cameras in the cargo holding bay?"

"No, sir… But the door is still locked. They might fear you have a weapon, sir, so this holds them back."

"Those bothersome brats… They didn't only betray me but helped those three get loose. This is the last time I believe in having a brat as a "business partner"… I should've tried to get control of the Darkloids way back in May." Dr. Regal grumbled.

"That wouldn't have been possible, sir. They're designed to be immune to brainwashing, sir."

"Che. They guessed my tricks… Whatever. Once we land in the Z – Nation then they will be turned into useful tools to force Japan to give out technological advancements to the Z – Nation."

"True, sir, but will we really be able to make it out of the Japanese airspace without trouble?"

"This plane is theirs to begin with. They'll think there's a secret flight test going on. It's not like North Korea is provoking them by announcing a new ICBM test… Defense is at its lowest." He shrugged.

"Yet… I have the feeling this will not end up well, sir."

"The miniature Death Star is correct, ya know."

Dr. Regal turned around but didn't see anyone: the console suddenly beeped and the "AUTO – PILOT" indicator came on.

"Oho. No trying to catch control again… You guys!"

"We've finished cutting off the PET III's connection to the system: Laser Man is sealed!" Cosmo Man reported.

Omega suddenly became visible: Regal cursed and picked a FAMAS machinegun from his feet to aim at Omega: his reflexes were way faster and, in a blur, kicked the FAMAS outta Regal's hand: he then gripped his right wrist and pulled him up to drop him into the ground: Regal took out a scout knife but Omega calmly kicked it away, too, before using his deactivated saber to hit the back of his skull and knock him out.

"Good. Knocked out for sure… Let's switch his PET III off and begin preparations to land the plane." Omega muttered.

"You lowlife…!" Laser Man muttered.

Omega ignored him and shut down the PET III: he then dragged Regal outside and into the main area: he opened a toilet stall and broke the inner lock to then close it from the outside: he quickly climbed up upstairs and sat down on the pilot's seat.

"Attention to all crew: the crazy crimson dude is gonna shake this babe up and down following Sky Man's laws." He joked.

"Jeez. Stop making up Navi names." Vadous grumbled.

"Too bad: I'm inspired."

"No good…" Vadous muttered.

"You're too pessimistic, Boss!"

"This isn't over until you land that thing safe and sound."

"I know. Let's call Super Man and have him do the job for us."

"I'm off before you drive me insane."

Omega chuckled and looked amused…

12:55 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Two minutes to rear landing gear touchdown… Is everything under control down there, guys?"

"Yeah. We used some remaining chloroform to knock Regal out. He won't be bothering us."

The five passengers were sitting on the seats and replied to Omega's question through the speakers.

"Good. Did you fasten your seatbelts?" Omega checked.

"Yeah. Say… Have you landed a plane before?" Netto asked.

"Don't worry: I've run VR simulations."

"Ah. That's something." Toru muttered.

"Something cool, ya mean, Water Man?"

"Jeez. Omega – san…!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Ops. Gotta cut contact… The runway is already there and I need full concentration."

Everyone gulped and looked through the windows at shadow being projected by the plane as it glided towards the runway: the read landing gear made contact and was immediately followed by the front one: the engines were reversed and the flaps opened while the brakes were engaged: the plane roared and everyone felt the force of being pushed against their seats as it began to slow down until it died down and began to move at taxiing speed: everyone automatically clapped.

"Success! I knew those VR simulations would come in handy one day. Let's turn Regal into the authorities and then go have a party at Maha Ichiban's: Maha will be delighted to have extra clients!" Omega announced.

"Sure thing…" Netto grinned.

"Gluttony Man showed up." Saito joked.

"He sure did." Toru grinned.

"… Eh… Guys…? You know… I've decided to… eh… since I'm gonna start anew, then… I'm gonna change my name. I don't wanna have any more attachments to my mistakes… "Akashi Hiro"… Does that sound good to you guys?" Yami suddenly called out.

"… Sure does. It rings." Delta grinned.

"Oho. Boss and Lartes are waiting there along with a local police patrol car… Guess this will be their competency until a transfer order comes into the picture… This guy is a fugitive, anyway."

"Well, then… Akashi. Welcome to the club." Netto welcomed.

"R-really…? Eh… Thanks." Hiro looked surprised.

"Hiro – kun… Sounds nice." Delta smiled at him.

"Delta… You're coming over, too?"

"Yeah… But I think I'll edit a little something…"

He closed his eyes and, when he opened them again, they'd become crystal blue: Hiro looked surprised at it.

"Whoa. Maybe I should get myself contacts, too…" He muttered with a hint of surprise.

"… Should we…?" Saito whispered to Netto.

"No… Not today… We don't wanna depress them." Netto replied.

"Yeah. I think the same… Another day would do fine, I think." Toru whispered to them.

"Huh? What's that?" Hiro asked.

"Eh… Well… We'll explain it on another day." Netto replied.

"Yeah… Today is to celebrate things, after all." Saito added.

"So let's settle it further on…" Toru looked slightly nervous.

Both Hiro and Delta looked at each other with a slightly confused look but then shrugged…

13:02 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Phew!"

The plane finally glided to a halt and the engines died down: the rear cargo holding bay ramp deployed and the group of five ran down it while looking relieved.

"Finally…! We're in the ground safe and sound…!" Netto muttered.

"What a morning!" Saito exclaimed.

"Yeah. I'd preferred going trekking to this whole mess." Toru grumbled.

"Guess so…" Hiro muttered.

"The whole story is over." Delta shrugged.

"So, you guys are jumping off?" Vadous asked as he walked over to them (he'd switched to the business suit and had the contacts on).

"Yeah. But I'm now Akashi Hiro. I wanna cut off any linking to what I did in the past." Hiro replied.

"Fine. Mr. Officer, if you may…"

"Good. Let's go, Takeshi."

"Roger, sir."

The two police officers headed into the plane.

"Can you take us two to the Net Police HQ?" Hiro asked.

"I already phoned Commissioner Kifune and he's expecting you two."

"And let's phone our parents to tell them we're safe and sound, too. They've gotta be worried." Saito reminded Netto.

"I took care of that." Vadous admitted.

"You know Boss: he never wastes half-a-second! He goes a light-speed to the infinite and beyond!" Omega joked as he appeared inside of Saito's Link PET.

"Omega…" Vadous rolled his eyes.

"Lemme be the star the show today. Unless you prefer Dragon's "innovations" to me…" Omega teased.

"No." Vadous immediately sentenced.

"Heh, heh, heh. Rumble and shake 'till you escape through the noon's door: the _perfect_ escape router!"

"Noon's door?" The five teens asked.

"Don't mind the guy." Vadous told them.

"Mind the gap, Grand Moff."

"My "inspiration" wasn't a Grand Moff." Vadous grumbled.

"I knew that."

"You know that's a taboo for me."

"I knew that."

"You're not proving it."

"I knew that."

"Cut the fooling around: get serious!" Vadous growled.

"Heh, heh, heh. Nothing can beat a good dose of Crazy Uncle Omega's Humor Show to lighten up the watery air…"

"That sounds way too long, mind ya." Netto pointed out.

"CUOHS would be better, then?"

"Maybe." Delta shrugged.

"Ah… Temper, tempering temper…" Omega made up a rhyme.

"Good. Let's move out already: I brought a car." Vadous told them.

"Time to drive at light-speed…"

"Time to shut the trap already!"

14:24 PM (Japan Time)…

"… So, you're surrendering to the Net Police, then, Akashi Hiro and Delta?"

"Correct."

"It's been our intention for some days already."

Hiro and Delta (inside of the PET III) were facing Commissioner Kifune inside of the Net Police HQ office: Hiro looked calm.

"Hmmm… That idea of the "Hunters' Guild" sounds good enough as part of a sentence in community hours… So… We'll give it a few days to think about it, but, on the meanwhile… Where will you be living at?"

"Mr. Zataki has already found a house in the Akihara City neighborhood which is good enough and will pose as my legal guardian. I already have the approval of the Hikari Brothers and Hikawa, so… I am slowly gaining acceptation in the community." Hiro explained.

"I should add, though, that I plan on "loosening" the Darkloids… I mean, removing their "loyalty programs" and have them take decisions of their own without being conditioned to me… It's about time to break from the past and adapt to the present." Delta added.

"It sounds good enough. Maybe you could be efficient Net Saviors, too, given some Net Battle training."

"N-Net Saviors…? We two…?" Hiro looked surprised.

"W-whoa!"

"I've decided. You will be in charge of supervising the "Hunters' Guild" project as part of a community work sentence. But you will also provide more "direct" help as a Net Savior. I'm sure you have the potential to make it past the "S" License Exam, even." Kifune smiled.

"T-thank you very much…" Hiro nervously thanked.

"W-we'll do our best." Delta confirmed.

"Good luck." Kifune encouraged.

10:11 AM (Japan Time), Thursday June the 23rd…

"… So… You wanted to explain to us the "full truths"…?"

"Hikawa – kun didn't say the whole of it?"

"No… You two weren't ready yet, so…"

"We should warn you, though, that it'll be something shocking."

Hiro (now having blue contacts on) was speaking with Netto and Saito while sitting on a sofa placed inside of a living room with views to the Akihara City streets: the windows were partly open to allow some fresh wind in.

"… So… What wasn't true about his tale, then?" Hiro asked.

"Almost everything…" Netto sighed.

"What? Then… Where did I come from?"

"You're from Japan, yeah, but… You don't have any living parents, family or relatives. You never had them…" Saito sighed.

"How's that possible? I'm a human, not a Net Navi, right?"

"You're 90% human right now, yeah…"

"90%...?" Hiro looked confused.

"You theorized once that you had a chip implant on your brain, didn't you? You were slightly mistaken. Netto – kun HAS that chip implant but that's because Delta stuffed it there." Saito explained.

"Hey. Wait a min… Chip implant… Control memories… Personality… Emotions… It couldn't be…?" Delta gasped and looked horrified.

"What, what?"

"… Hiro – kun… You were… _created_… by me."

"E~H?"

"But… Eh… Not as a person…"

"As a program…?"

"Yeah. I guess that blurry memory you had the night Nebula Grey's resurrection was completed had something explaining it… Didn't you say there was a word "your…" which was cut off? I guess you originally said "your mind"…" Delta told him.

"T-then…! I was a program controlling his body?" Hiro looked at Netto and gasped.

"More like a "split personality"…" Netto sighed.

"And Delta made up that tale about the Army and the conspiracy. There's no such thing, really. He just wanted to turn you paranoid and unable to trust anyone except him… Always running away from "pursuers" and never speaking to anyone else… He just wanted you for himself, as his "toy-boy", his plaything…" Saito added while looking elsewhere.

"… Lust…" Delta weakly muttered.

"Yeah. Lust was the trigger. But that "lust" was how Nebula Grey shaped its control over you… By fueling up that lust…" Netto confirmed.

"Then… I tried to take control forever…?" Hiro grasped.

"Yeah. But those "emergency orders" expelled you from the brain implant chip and into Vadous – san's PET III… He then switched you off as well as paralyzed Delta with a powerful program to then be able to "purge" you… He decided to install you into a spare "cyborg body" he had…"

"Cyborg body…?"

"I have one, too. My brain is wholly electronic, I have implants on the CNS to help it decipher the inputs/outputs plus intravenous nanomachines flowing through me… And the core of the brain contains a device to store a Navi frame…" Saito explained.

"Navi frame…! Then you were Rock Man all along!" Delta gasped.

"Yeah. But I always was Hikari Saito, anyway."

"But I don't have Navi frame, do I?" Hiro asked.

"No. Yours is slightly different: there's a core which contains your whole consciousness but the system is designed so that nothing can enter it from the outside. It's closer to an actual brain."

"I see… And he then allowed us to live as "normal" guys… Well. I think I can imagine it like I ran away from the orphanage, fell inside of the bunker and Delta decided to use me. It sounds easier to cope with."

"Uh… Yeah. But, Rock Man… Why do you wish so badly to pretend to be a human?"

"That's because I _was born as a human_ to begin with! My "original" body died of a rare genetic heart disease named HBD. But Papa's research on how to connect Operator and Net Navi to share emotions, thoughts and experiences saved me. He copied all of my memories, emotions and consciousness into a Navi frame… My body died, but I was still alive as Net Navi… To hide it, Papa gave me the name "Rock Man"… And he promised he would find a way for me to live in the real world again… Yet… It had to be a two-way system, too, because I began to grow friends in the Cyber World and didn't want to be exiled from them forever…"

"W-whoa…!" Both Hiro and Delta gasped.

"And that's when Vadous – san came up with this. But everyone else believes it's an experimental Copy Roid – like device, so you should have that on mind. It's not exactly "moral" to genetically engineer a human body and then replaced its brain… Vadous – san was troubled by it, but in this case, there was no other way around." Netto summed up.

"And you can come out anytime by having the nanomachines supervise the body functions and keep them working, too…" Delta guessed.

"Now that the grim talk is over… Tomorrow we go to the beach! And you're invited over, too."

"Whoa! Eh… Will I be alright? I've never tried swimming before…"

"I haven't, either, truth to be told! But it's very instinctive."

"Heh, heh! Leave it to me!" Netto grinned.

18:44 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho. So Blackbeard is back at the turf he ran outta from?"

"Yeah. And with the increased list of charges, doubt he's gonna get out any time soon."

Forte and Omega were speaking somewhere in the Reverse Internet while overlooking over pathways below them: Gospel Jr. was merely napping.

"Boo!"

"Aie~h!"

"Going somewhere?"

"Aie~h!"

"Hey! This is the red lane! Only pros can ski here!"

"Aie~h!"

"No passing through here! A thunderstorm is coming!"

"Aie~h!"

"Heh, heh, heh. I am afraid there's road maintenance today."

"Aie~h!"

"Wanna taste my sword?"

"By all the…!"

Both looked down to see a bunch of five evil Navis finding all their pathways blocked off by Sigma, Blood Shadow, Blizzard Man, Cloud Man, Cosmo Man and DS Blues.

"There goes Red Sword!" Omega grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. The grunts won't last long like this." Forte grinned.

"Grawl!"

Both of them laughed in a jovial tone of voice…


	35. Chapter 35: Conclusion

**Chapter 35: Conclusion**

11:11 AM (Japan Time), Friday June the 24th…

"… Wow. So this is how the sea smells like."

"It has this distinct smell."

Saito was standing in the edge of the beach and looking out at the sea with admiration: he sported lime green swimming trunks.

Netto was standing next to him, having taken out his bandana and sporting blue swimming trunks.

"… Will you give me a hand? I've never had the chance to swim…" Saito asked of him in a hushed tone.

"Let's go in!" Netto grinned.

He grabbed Saito's left arm and dragged him along as they jumped forward into the shallow water.

SPLASH!

"Wow! It feels… refreshing…" Saito commented.

SPLASH!

"Brrr! It's cold!"

Hiro emerged from the water and practiced some crawl moves: he managed to get used to the waves soon enough.

"Oho! Make way! The great Dekao – sama is here!"

SPLASH!

A large plume of water formed in the spot Dekao landed in thus showering the others with the water.

"Dekao! You're going to drain the beach with those jumps!"

"This guy…! One day Guts Man and I will beat Rock Man!" Dekao proclaimed.

"I believe Netto – kun is right, Dekao – kun." Tooru added.

"Where are _those two_, anyway?" Netto asked while looking around.

"Where do you expect them to be? Sunbathing." Saito shrugged.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Hiro grinned.

"So… We're now just "those two", huh? You've degraded us?"

"Come on… Don't take it so hard…"

Netto, Saito and Hiro looked behind them to see Meiru and Yaito looking towards them.

Meiru wore a one piece swimsuit colored blue.

Yaito wore a one piece swimsuit colored red plus a yellow flotation ring.

"Meiru – chan! Naughty boys will always be naughty boys…"

"Yaito – chan. Tell that to Enzan – kun. But I'm sure these ones will learn what "manners" means. And that's directed to you, too, Tooru – kun. Don't try to sneak on me." Meiru replied with an unimpressed face.

"I know, Sakurai – san…" Tooru rolled his eyes.

"Be glad her uncle ain't a former Green Berets member… Or else he'd be looking up your whole record and try to find a flaw there!" Hiro blinked Tooru an eye.

"Jeez."

"Oh. Wait. No, no… You should be glad she isn't such a deadly sniper with daunting looks." Hiro whispered.

"Please, Hiro – kun…!" Tooru protested.

"Be glad Ocelot isn't around to play with his SAA revolvers… You'd be dancing to the pace of his tune." Netto chuckled.

"I give up."

_Why does everyone need to tease me, anyway?_

11:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Guts, guts! I will beat Rock Man… Hey! He's here! Guts!"

"Sorry! You got the wrong person, Guts Man."

Guts Man had been fooling around the local wireless network hub when Delta had walked past him.

"Guts! You're that new guy named Delta, guts! You must be from Greece! Guts! I'm so clever! Guts!"

"While "Delta" per se is a Greek letter… It does not mean I'm from Greece, Guts Man. Think carefully next time." Delta grinned.

"Beware of his slow punch, desu!" Ice Man giggled.

"Guts?" Guts Man looked confused.

"So… You're the newcomer everyone was talking about. Welcome to the club, Delta." Glyde welcomed.

"Thank you." Delta thanked.

"Hmmm… You look like you could tell Guts Man to stop bothering me once and for all." Roll teased.

"Oh. That's easy." Delta grinned.

He walked in front of Guts Man and examined him from different angles.

"Guts? What's Delta doing? Guts?" Guts Man wondered.

"Why did they name you "Guts" man instead of "Gorilla" man?"

"Dunno. Guts!" Guts Man shrugged.

"Heh, heh! Then… Don't bother Roll – chan. She does not like being bothered." Delta told him.

"Guts! Guts Man will take the advice seriously! Guts!"

"And do change cha name to "Gorilla Man" already, too." Roll giggled.

Guts Man sighed and the others laughed…

11:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So! How far did you see?"

"Up until that "Solidus" guy tries to get rid of Snake and Raiden with that Harrier 2… Cool fight, really. That "Vamp" guy is starting to freak me over, though. He reminds me of Shade Man."

Delta was talking with Hiro as he sun-bathed.

"No wonder…" Delta giggled.

"So? Did Ms. Moon tell ya you're fired?"

"Come on… It's already gone by now."

"Ah. Did the imp flee to Secret Land?"

"Dunno."

"Heh, heh, heh. You like this game of teasing, do ya?"

"Maybe so."

"Ya sound like a lawyer again."

"Who do you think I am? Ace Attorney?" Delta asked.

"The Greek guy from the lost village in the mountains, I'd rather say. Heh, heh, heh, heh." Hiro chuckled.

"Whatever."

"Whatever the ever."

"That sounds weird."

"Heh, heh. I'm being innovative." Hiro chuckled.

"Please… We have enough with that cook guy's weird manias. Don't try to give him credit now." Delta sounded exasperated.

"Who knows?"

"I give up: I'm off to watching the _Wind Baton_."

11:44 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So… What should we do with Colonel Thunderbolt? His "punishment" expires in another two months…"

"Hmmm… Good point… Maybe we should relocate him to St. Petersburg another half a year to make sure?"

"Ocelot" and Chief Lezareno were speaking as they sat opposite each other in a café's terrace table: the sky was clear of clouds and a bright sun bathed it all.

"It could work. Incidentally… I have gotten news regarding the sentence for Dr. Regal. It's obviously increased and I doubt him coming out of the prison ever. They're logically keeping him and Dr. Wily split in separate facilities." Lezareno reported.

"Speaking of such…" Ocelot began.

"Of course. The "Ice Queen" and its gang are still in the high-security facility and no problems have been reported insofar."

"Good enough. Maybe we can have a quiet time for the time being. By the way… I am planning on bringing those two young men with me on a trip to my home city… It would do them fine for a change of airs."

"Perfect. We'd be keeping some surveillance around Mr. Akashi given attempts by "dangerous parties" to inflict harm to him before. Do you approve of it?"

"I always do, Chief. Please go ahead."

"Thank you."

Both picked their glasses filled with water and ice cubes to hold them up: they made a toast and drank some of the water up.

"Well then, Chief… Our work is not over yet."

"Of course not. It's about to get intriguing." Lezareno smiled.

Both chuckled in a low tone of voice…

11:55 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho… So you guys are gonna give a hand to keep trouble at bay? Ring me up if you need a hint."

"Sure thing."

Omega was speaking with Zero inside of the Science Labs' Cyber World: Zero sounded amused (given how his face was always the same) and Omega was grinning.

"They'll run as far as Anchorage once they spot that swords of yours, Zero… Those guys are easily readable." Omega grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh. It was about time I got some humor, too. Gate Man has some curious proverbs of his."

"I guess one: come into his gate and ya don't come out." Omega deduced.

"Yeah. He's too predictable as well. But he makes fine to test newcomers' Net Battling skills." Zero shrugged.

"If you wanna scare the guys, say I recommended ya to go after 'em."

"Delighted. It was about time I got a dose of action after being here for over a year now." Zero began to sound amused.

"Oh. And one trick… Amplify that "breathing" sound of yours and everyone will believe you're Vader's reincarnation. They'll run as far as the Gobi Desert nonstop to show up on the Guinness Book of World Records 2010…" Omega barely held his laughter back.

"Terrific enough. I'm eager to try on Gate Man: I wanna see him run as far as his armored legs allow him to."

"And Meijin will claim that's because he ate too much iron and didn't have enough calcium…"

"In short: the Hilarity Summer is about to knock at the firewall…"

"Ya summarized it better than I could."

Both chuckled and sounded amused…

12:09 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So? What are we gonna do, guys?"

"I would say keeping like this is good. I mean… It is definitely better than prison internment. And we are doing it fair and square."

"Sure."

"_Rock n' roll_! We'll get a lot of customers now thanks to our new publicity campaign! _Fantastic_!"

Hikonen, Maha Jarama, Madoi and Count Elec were talking while sitting next to one of the tables inside of their Maha Ichiban's restaurant: a pair of Net Police inspectors was sitting close by.

"I love controlling the scorching fires of Hell in the kitchen." Fire Man chuckled.

"My electricity provides us with glory!" Elec Man exclaimed.

"Our background is catchy~!" Colored Man giggled.

"Maha Jarama – sama's cook skills are unrivaled!" Magic Man added.

All of their PETs beeped and quickly looked at them to frown and seem perplexed.

"Who is "Troll-F"…?" All of them asked.

"And what does "The Local Funny Club as described by Forte and Gospel Jr." mean?" The Navis wondered.

"Dunno!" The eight of them exclaimed.

The Net Police inspectors also looked surprised at their PETs.

"Did you order a fedora for me?"

"Did you order a trench coat for me?"

"No!" Both exclaimed.

The ten of them looked totally perplexed…

12:19 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Oho. Good mail."

"Catchy."

"Thanks."

"Grawl!"

Sigma and Blood Shadowwere speaking with Forte while they glanced at how the "Hunters' Guild" chased a bunch of ten Navis across the maze of corridors while blocking some paths or diverting them around.

"Red Sword tells ya you get a red 0."

"Blizzard Man says this lane is for pros."

"Cloud Man says there's a thunderstorm coming from there."

"Cosmo Man says there is no escape."

"C-crap!"

"Killer Beam!"

"Thousand Spear!"

Dark Man and Yamato Man dropped down to attack the group of Navis and weaken them: they then vanished as quickly as they had shown up while Serenade walked up towards the group: the "Hunters' Guild" quickly saluted but Serenade gently signaled that there was no need.

"I am giving you a chance. Leave this nation. Do not intrude into this territory and believe you can do as you please." Serenade calmly commanded.

"T-the Reverse King…! Ru~n!"

The ten of them plugged out while Serenade formed a smile: he then looked up towards Forte and the other two.

"So, Forte… It would seem my lesson was worth it. You do not seem so confused anymore."

"Yeah. I needed someone to straighten me up, really."

"Ya haven't seen Dragon's crazy "innovations" yet." Sigma joked.

"Jeez. Stop pestering Dragon: he's just trying to be the cool guy." Blood Shadow sounded annoyed.

"Yeah? Bread with curry rice is cool, then?"

"Guess so."

"Heh, heh. Ya sound like a lawyer."

"Not that again…"

"Grawl!" Gospel Jr. exclaimed.

"Fine. Go have a snack." Forte shrugged.

"I am heading back. Farewell."

Serenade faded out while the Hunters' Guild sighed in relief.

"Guess we can go have a break… Remember: the Official Square is our meeting point." Red Sword told them.

"I'll go ski down the Andes!"

"I'll go monitor thunderstorms."

"I shall examine the latest NASA news."

"Hunters' Guild: Dismissed!" They all exclaimed.

"They could patent that." Forte suggested.

"Sure thing." Sigma agreed with it.

"Patent a patent." Blood Shadow laughed.

"Oho. Terrific." Forte grinned.

"The _Two Musketeers_: Dismissed!" Sigma joked.

Blood Shadow slapped his face in defeat using the left hand: Forte and Sigma chuckled as he sighed…

12:33 AM (Japan Time)…

"… Summer, huh… Well. Maybe there'll be something worth a bit of sweat, even."

"You seem to be getting positive as of late, Enzan – sama."

"Yeah. It's thanks to R… I mean, Saito."

"Doesn't sound bad to name him like that…"

Enzan was standing in one of Marine Harbor's docks and letting the sea breeze blow around him.

"That Laika guy headed back to Sharo Nation ages ago, so… I don't think we'll get competency… Wait. I'd forgotten… Dark Miyabi and Shadow Man are in our side, so… Count on them to make a _ninja_ entrance from the ceiling one day." Enzan looked amused.

"Hum… It still feels odd, Enzan – sama."

"I know. But we'll eventually get used to it. It's not like they were harboring any grudge, though… They were doing the job they were supposed to do. I heard that Obihiro is handling pretty well, too… Commander Barrel seems to have already dismissed the little incident of January… He returned to Ameroupe ages ago, too."

"Am I supposed, though, to cooperate with that… lookalike?"

"Not necessarily. But maybe that Omega guy would make a good tag-combo." Enzan relieved him with a smile.

"Perfect. We'd become the most feared swordsmen in the Cyber World like it." Blues actually smiled.

"And teach those guys that battling is supposed to be fast…" Enzan began with a smile.

"… And unexpected…"

"Ace Swordsmen: Move Out!" Both improvised.

They actually laughed at their motto…

20:03 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hiro – kun…"

"I know what ya wanna ask."

"Really?"

"How far did I get?"

"I didn't mean that."

"I knew that. Anyway… What are we gonna do, you mean?"

"Yeah. What's your plan?"

Hiro was holding a Link PET on his right hand and looking at Delta's hologram as he sat on the edge of his bed: he looked amused and so did Delta.

"We're gonna train hard to become good Net Saviors. And I'm sure we could always come up with a VR system to improve our skills… We're yet to practice Cross Fusion, too!" Hiro exclaimed.

"True! It's gotta be cool to try out. We now know there's no way to get bored this summer. We're way too hyperactive!" Delta giggled.

"So? Did Mr. Bird tell ya you're fired?" Hiro joked.

"Not that again…"

"Heh, heh. I'm good at innovating. Anyway! We're gonna jump, roll, slash and slice 'till only feathers are left outta that thing."

"Guess so… We'll make a good tag-combo."

"Like Snake and Otacon, then?"

"No way…"

"Way to go! Let's go for it!"

"Sure."

Both giggled and looked out at the horizon…

20:07 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Well then… Summer vacations now are gonna kick off for real!"

"Yeah. And something tells me they'll be original."

"What tells you that, Saito – niisan?"

"Your ears, Netto – kun."

"My ears…?"

"Here. Check it out."

Netto and Saito were standing in their house's balcony after having changed into pajamas: Saito suddenly began to rub the ears with his fingers and Netto laughed.

"It tickles…!"

"Heh, heh. See?"

"Fine. I get the joke. Papa and Mama are gonna go sleep soon, so… We should hit the sack, too." Netto suggested.

"Sure thing. But Mr. Fedora will come and change your hairstyle to match Enzan's." Saito joked.

"No way…" Netto groaned.

"Heh, heh. Now that we've wrapped up our problems… We deserve a good rest." Saito tapped his right shoulder from behind.

"Guess we'll be testing each other out a lot, too." Netto giggled.

"If we join forces, then… Anything can be overcome. No obstacle will halt us." Saito rallied.

"There goes our classic speech: we should patent it!"

"Sure. Invent Patent Man."

"Better: Invention Man."

Both laughed in a jovial tone…

21:02 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Boss? What are you thinking about?"

"Nebula Grey's words… Obviously enough."

Omega and Vadous were standing in the middle of a largely unfurnished metallic room with a large viewing window allowing for live sights of the Earth spreading out below them and constantly turning around due to their orbit around it: Vadous looked serious and so did Omega.

"There'll be trouble to come. I can't say when or the scale of it. Yet… After this whole chaos this one year has been… Things should naturally scale down." Vadous announced.

"Yeah. Maybe Mr. Monster wants to make us confident by portraying it as foolish or weak while, in truth, were we to oversee it, could evolve into something bad and even deadly." Omega muttered.

"My same thoughts. Yet… I am not omnipotent or all-powerful. I would not try to steal decision-making from others… I'd rather let them handle the problem if it enters their sphere of influence… We'd only show up if the thing began to escalate out of control."

"Yeah. I know Lartes moved out to the "B Front" to keep track of things there because Mr. Monster hinted that we'd get trouble over there as well, so… Blood and Sigma could be recalled over there from time to time as well to give out a little hand. We could cover up for them by saying that they have to run maintenance or are into playing a new game. The nature of the "B Front" is something which others would find too hard to accept or comprehend…" Omega exposed.

"But it's not like we'll be lying to them, either. It's just to protect their trust on us… Maybe I should reactivate the ground base: it could come in handy as extra HQ." Vadous brought the right hand to his chin.

"Good. We should be go hit the sack, shouldn't we?"

"True, true… Busy days ahead wrapping up the leftovers…"

"… Of Dragon's rice and chocolate cake…"

"How many times do I have to tell ya? Don't give credit to the guy or he'll show up in the Guinness Book as "weirdest chef of the year"…"

"Heh, heh. 'Night, Boss. Beware of Brutus' sudden visits."

"I get the irony."

Omega headed over to an armored door which slid to the right as he approached it: he stepped out and the door closed behind him as Vadous smiled and directed a glance at the planet.

"Nebula Grey… If you want to challenge us, so be it. We will not give up, because we possess something you can't hope to comprehend or imagine… "Friendship". That's our "ace-in-the-hole" to turn things around when you less expect it. You're an _anime_ villain rip-off to begin with, so don't think you're a Demon God." Vadous began to sound amused.

He stepped out of the room, crossed through a curved corridor, and entered his room: he slowly took out the armor pieces and stored them into a closet to reveal the purplish sleeveless shirt, shorts and socks he carried under it: he climbed into the bed and placed both hands behind his head as he glanced at the switched off XBOX 360 and the TV.

"Heh, heh, heh. Besides… I just finished _Halo 2_ so I'm gonna pick _Halo 3_ next… I'm itching for some good raw first-person-shooter action to shake off my nerves… And maybe I'll show Dragon a close-quarters photo of a Brute while saying he's his number #1 fan… That should be enough to straighten him up…" He muttered as he drew a grin on his face.

He pulled the covers up to the neck's beginning and slowly placed both arms parallel to his body while articulating the fingers and closing his eyes: he kept on having a grin on his face.

"Well then… We're gonna have a small "interlude" before our next real big event… Jump, roll, slice and dice 'till ya dig out the treasure: 100 Rupees come out of the treasure chest! Heh, heh... Good night, everyone!"

He finally fell asleep with that same broad grin on his face…

**THE END**


End file.
